STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team is set for a four-game series with the first-place Wagner Seahawks (26-12, 11-3 NEC) this weekend at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island.
 
The series begins with a single, nine-inning contest on Friday, followed by Saturday's seven-inning doubleheader and another single nine-inning game on Sunday.
 
Friday, April 27 | 3:00 p.m.
Trent Valentine - RHP (FDU) vs Eric Ligda- RHP (WAG)
Live Stats

Saturday, April 28 | 1:00 PM (DH)
Game 1: Joe Flack - RHP (FDU) vs Neil Abbatiello – LHP (WAG)
Game 2: Corey Zeller – RHP (FDU) vs Pat Gallagher – RHP (WAG)
Live Stats

Sunday, April 29 | 1:00 PM
TBD – (FDU) vs Nick Zuppe – RHP (WAG)
Live Stats
 
 
KNIGHTS OFFENSE
Freshman Oliver Tavares has been hot with six hits in the Knights' (10-24, 1-13 NEC) last four games including a 4-for-6 effort in last Saturday's doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's. Tavares leads the team with a .341 batting average on the season. With his two RBI performance against Saint Peter's, sophomore catcher Evan McDonald increased his team-leading total to 23. Newly positioned third baseman Corbin Dunnuck has a pair of multi-hit games in the last three outings including a 2-for-3 effort against Saint Peter's earlier this week.
 
KNIGHTS PITCHING
The freshman right-hander Trent Valentine took the team lead in strikeouts by punching out five Mountaineers last weekend in conference play. Valentine now has 34 k's across his 33 innings this season. Classmate Chris Quijano delivered his best start of the season last time out, tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts in the Knights' win over Saint Peter's. Quijano also netted his second win of the season in that contest.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Knights were victorious over Saint Peter's 7-1 on Tuesday with freshman pitcher Quijano and sophomore center fielder Brandon Seltzer leading the way. Quijano delivered 5.2 innings, allowing one earned run and six hits, while striking out seven in picking up the win, while Seltzer knocked in two runs to go along with his first collegiate home run.  McDonald also finished 2-for-3 in the victory, with two RBIs and a walk.

FRESHMEN OFFENSE
Get to know the FDU freshmen hitters in this week's Knights Baseball Roundup.
 
WAGNER SEAHAWKS
Wagner enters the weekend as the top team in the NEC at 11-3 in conference play and have won three straight games.  The Seahawks closed out its three-game weekend series at Villanova, with a 6-5 win in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The win completed a swept the four-game series sweep of the Wildcats this season. Junior third baseman Anthony Pecora and catcher Phil Capra each had three hits in the afternoon's contest with Capra driving in three RBIs to close out the final win. Capra took home NEC Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.
 
NEXT UP
The Knights begin a seven-game homestand on Friday, May 4 when they welcome Sacred Heart to the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.