2024 Baseball Season
- Thread starter MDspider8
- Start date
Sorry last horrible stat I'll share. I feel like for a lot of this season, despite how bad the pitching has been, they have actually been limiting the long ball. Well, Longwood has 3 HRs today, only had 14 heading into this game.
Also, it's insane how some of these pitchers are incapable of throwing strikes. It'd be one thing if Longwood was just hitting the ball all over the place, but we can't even find the zone.
Spider pitching today: 9 walks in 5 IP.
Kyle Roche: 2 walks in 55.1 IP.
Spider pitching today: 9 walks in 5 IP.
Kyle Roche: 2 walks in 55.1 IP.
Exciting news for the A10 - La Salle is bringing back baseball starting in the 2026 season. It was dropped after the 2020–21 academic year, so this is a very quick reversal.
Duquesne and Loyola-Chicago will be the only two A10 schools without a baseball program.
goexplorers.com
Duquesne and Loyola-Chicago will be the only two A10 schools without a baseball program.
La Salle University Announces Addition of Four Varsity Sport Programs - La Salle University Athletics
La Salle University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation is adding four varsity sports—women's rugby, women's acrobatics and tumbling, and women's
goexplorers.com
It's part of a desperate plan to save the university by attracting new students...full-time undergrad enrollment has dropped by almost half over the past five years to only 1,700.
They tried this a decade or so ago when they first felt they needed to prop up enrollment, but then COVID swung the pendulum the other way on that and they had to cut sports. Now they're swinging back the other way.
But they're in really bad shape. They claim they're not going to close, but every school says that until the moment they do.
www.inquirer.com
They tried this a decade or so ago when they first felt they needed to prop up enrollment, but then COVID swung the pendulum the other way on that and they had to cut sports. Now they're swinging back the other way.
But they're in really bad shape. They claim they're not going to close, but every school says that until the moment they do.
La Salle University’s enrollment dropped 28% since 2019. What is the school doing to cope?
La Salle's president said he's confident about the school's future and has a plan that includes adding some sports, starting a student band and restructuring academic leadership.
www.inquirer.com
A little late on sharing the exciting news, but a pair of Spiders won A10 weekly awards on Monday!
Aaron Whitley was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, and as the article writes, "In five games [from 4/8 - 4/14], Whitley hit .526, slugged 1.105, posted an on base percentage of .591. The outfielder from Niskayuna, N.Y., collected 10 hits in 19 at bats, five RBI, five extra base hits, including three home runs, three stolen bases and seven runs scored." Awesome recognition for a player I know many of us have enjoyed watching, and hope to see him in the lineup every A10 game from this point on.
Aidan "A-OK" O'Keefe won Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week. "O’Keefe returned from injury in style, launching a solo home run off the second pitch in his first at bat Friday...He scored again that same game, drawing a walk and crossing the plate as part of an 8-run inning...drew a full count walk to load the bases in the ninth inning Saturday, scoring the winning run on Connor Larson's bunt. He added an RBI bunt single and a run scored in Sunday's game."
Nice to get some awards after a series sweep, which usually means someone was doing something right. Davidson write up tomorrow!
Aaron Whitley was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, and as the article writes, "In five games [from 4/8 - 4/14], Whitley hit .526, slugged 1.105, posted an on base percentage of .591. The outfielder from Niskayuna, N.Y., collected 10 hits in 19 at bats, five RBI, five extra base hits, including three home runs, three stolen bases and seven runs scored." Awesome recognition for a player I know many of us have enjoyed watching, and hope to see him in the lineup every A10 game from this point on.
Aidan "A-OK" O'Keefe won Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week. "O’Keefe returned from injury in style, launching a solo home run off the second pitch in his first at bat Friday...He scored again that same game, drawing a walk and crossing the plate as part of an 8-run inning...drew a full count walk to load the bases in the ninth inning Saturday, scoring the winning run on Connor Larson's bunt. He added an RBI bunt single and a run scored in Sunday's game."
Nice to get some awards after a series sweep, which usually means someone was doing something right. Davidson write up tomorrow!
It's part of a desperate plan to save the university by attracting new students...full-time undergrad enrollment has dropped by almost half over the past five years to only 1,700.
They tried this a decade or so ago when they first felt they needed to prop up enrollment, but then COVID swung the pendulum the other way on that and they had to cut sports. Now they're swinging back the other way.
But they're in really bad shape. They claim they're not going to close, but every school says that until the moment they do.
La Salle University’s enrollment dropped 28% since 2019. What is the school doing to cope?
La Salle's president said he's confident about the school's future and has a plan that includes adding some sports, starting a student band and restructuring academic leadership.
Might be the only way to get them out of the A10
Gameday! The Spiders (16-21, 6-3 A10) head down to North Carolina to take on the Davidson Wildcats (14-21, 2-7 A10) in our fourth Atlantic 10 series. Interesting note from the Davidson team website, Mik Aoki is a Davidson graduate (1990), and still ranks among Davidson's career leaders in batting average (.335, 9th) and slugging percentage (.547, 9th).
Probable Starters according to team sites
Davidson is currently on a 7 game losing streak, dropping all six conference games at VCU and at SLU (two of the top teams in the conference; brutal schedule) and a mid-week game at Winthrop this past Tuesday.
Third baseman Michael O’Shaughnessy is definitely a bat to watch in the Davidson lineup. He won A-10 Player of the week on April 2, after hitting .500 (7-14) with a 1.793 on base plus slugging, a pair of home runs and seven RBI in the week of 3/25-3/31, which included the Saint Joseph's series. The sophomore, who was on the A-10 All-Rookie Team last season, is following up with another impressive campaign, slashing .312/.453/.560, with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs (team lead).
Their home run leader, with 9, is Eli Putnam, a Junior who is getting his first dose of regular starting this year. He is also the team leader in average (.331), and has 9 doubles and 37 RBIs to his name. As a team, Davidson is middle of the pack in the A10 when it comes to a lot of offensive categories. They are a team that hits for solid average and power, will not steal bases, but most noticeably, they are patient at the plate. They have drawn a league high 207 walks (almost 6/G) and have a team OBP of .403.
Pitching with Davidson is nothing to write home about. Their Saturday starter, Cavanaugh, is second in the A10 in Opposing Batting Average (.217) and he ranks 10th in the A10 in strikeouts (46). His teammate, and Friday starter Wilson Perkins, ranks 7th with 48.
Elsewhere in the A10, the series to watch would be Dayton at VCU. Both teams are 6-3 and we face both later on in the season.
Probable Starters according to team sites
- Friday, 5:30PM - Logan Ymker vs Wilson Perkins (3-3, 6.06 ERA, 49.0 IP)
- Saturday, 1:30 PM - Esteban Rodriguez vs Cooper Cavanaugh (1-4, 5.06 ERA, 42.2 IP)
- Sunday, 1:00 PM - Kyle Roche
Davidson is currently on a 7 game losing streak, dropping all six conference games at VCU and at SLU (two of the top teams in the conference; brutal schedule) and a mid-week game at Winthrop this past Tuesday.
Third baseman Michael O’Shaughnessy is definitely a bat to watch in the Davidson lineup. He won A-10 Player of the week on April 2, after hitting .500 (7-14) with a 1.793 on base plus slugging, a pair of home runs and seven RBI in the week of 3/25-3/31, which included the Saint Joseph's series. The sophomore, who was on the A-10 All-Rookie Team last season, is following up with another impressive campaign, slashing .312/.453/.560, with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs (team lead).
Their home run leader, with 9, is Eli Putnam, a Junior who is getting his first dose of regular starting this year. He is also the team leader in average (.331), and has 9 doubles and 37 RBIs to his name. As a team, Davidson is middle of the pack in the A10 when it comes to a lot of offensive categories. They are a team that hits for solid average and power, will not steal bases, but most noticeably, they are patient at the plate. They have drawn a league high 207 walks (almost 6/G) and have a team OBP of .403.
Pitching with Davidson is nothing to write home about. Their Saturday starter, Cavanaugh, is second in the A10 in Opposing Batting Average (.217) and he ranks 10th in the A10 in strikeouts (46). His teammate, and Friday starter Wilson Perkins, ranks 7th with 48.
Elsewhere in the A10, the series to watch would be Dayton at VCU. Both teams are 6-3 and we face both later on in the season.
Well one player I forgot to call out, Jacob Friend, has been added to the Buster Posey Watch List. This award goes to the best Catcher in College Baseball.
"Friend is hitting .306 with a 1.128 OPS and leads the Atlantic 10 Conference with 37 walks and a .528 on-base percentage. He ranks 12th and 15th, respectively, in the nation in those categories."
"Friend is hitting .306 with a 1.128 OPS and leads the Atlantic 10 Conference with 37 walks and a .528 on-base percentage. He ranks 12th and 15th, respectively, in the nation in those categories."
Davidson takes game one, 6–1. The only run we mustered was in the first with Whitley leading off with a HBP and getting worked around to score via a ground out and a Pacheco single. We never really threatened after that, with no extra-base hits and no walks, and the singles we did have were scattered. From the second inning on, we never got anybody as far as third and only got two runners as far as second.
Spiders take the first game...9–4. Benefitted from 7 walks overall and three HBP in a three-run 5th.
Bernstein and Jaffe each with a two-run homer.
Bernstein and Jaffe each with a two-run homer.
Last chance for the Spiders, heading to the 9th down 4–3. We put our three on the board in the 7th with a 2-run shot from Topolski and a sac fly from Bernstein, but still need more.
We've struck out 14 Davidson batters including 9 by E-Rod in his 5 innings of work, but unfortunately the Cats for a 3-run homer and a sac fly of their own.
We've struck out 14 Davidson batters including 9 by E-Rod in his 5 innings of work, but unfortunately the Cats for a 3-run homer and a sac fly of their own.
Oof, game over.
Singles by Whitley and Jaffe to lead things off, sac bunt by Bernstein to move them over, and the Spiders were looking great. But an intentional walk to Pacheco and then Rickabaugh hits into a double play to end it.
Singles by Whitley and Jaffe to lead things off, sac bunt by Bernstein to move them over, and the Spiders were looking great. But an intentional walk to Pacheco and then Rickabaugh hits into a double play to end it.
Not a great result, but good to take one game. Puts a little more pressure to win the following series (if not sweep..) before the last three series get a little more difficult on paper.
Halfway through the conference season, the Atlantic 10 is tighter than I can remember. SLU dropped their first series of the year to Fordham, and now sit atop the standings with an 8-4 record. Four teams (including us) sit at 7 wins, and St. Bonaventure and Davidson sit at the bottom of the table with a 4-8 record.
Mid-week game at home against Norfolk State Tuesday at 2:30, before heading north to Olean to take on St. Bonaventure.
Halfway through the conference season, the Atlantic 10 is tighter than I can remember. SLU dropped their first series of the year to Fordham, and now sit atop the standings with an 8-4 record. Four teams (including us) sit at 7 wins, and St. Bonaventure and Davidson sit at the bottom of the table with a 4-8 record.
Mid-week game at home against Norfolk State Tuesday at 2:30, before heading north to Olean to take on St. Bonaventure.
Was curious to look into how Morehead State is doing in their first season post-Aoki. They're currently 23-17 overall and 8-7 in conference play, with three key returnees from last year's squad putting up even more insane numbers this year. Ryley Preece is hitting .383/.515/.747 with 17 HR, 47 RBI, and 17 SB, Roman Kuntz is hitting .344/.426/.800 with 20 HR and 60 RBI, and Colton Becker is hitting .344/.432/.619 with 9 HR, 37 RBI, and 20 SB.
I didn't know this until recently, but Morehead State plays in a comically shaped park that clearly favors lefties. Apparently it's only 305-310(!) to right center and 320 to right field. 13 of Kuntz' 20 homers and 11 of Preece's 17 have come at home - they're both lefites. According to College Baseball Radar, Morehead State is the third most hitter friendly ballpark in all of D1 baseball.
I didn't know this until recently, but Morehead State plays in a comically shaped park that clearly favors lefties. Apparently it's only 305-310(!) to right center and 320 to right field. 13 of Kuntz' 20 homers and 11 of Preece's 17 have come at home - they're both lefites. According to College Baseball Radar, Morehead State is the third most hitter friendly ballpark in all of D1 baseball.
Apparently that right field fence is a tall net? I'd hate to be a fielder trying to play a ball that doesn't make it over the top of the net.
That's hilarious, I'm sure it helps a bit but if you can get some launch angle on that thing that fence still isn't helping too much.Apparently that right field fence is a tall net? I'd hate to be a fielder trying to play a ball that doesn't make it over the top of the net.
Gameday! 2:30 PM against Norfolk State (11-28, 6-15 Northeast). The Spartans are 3-7 in their Last 10, and are coming off a mid-week win at Longwood and a 1-2 series against Merrimack. They are 302/305 D1 teams in RPI, according to Warren Nolan.
On the base paths, we will need to pay attention to Jamal Ritter, who has stolen 23 bases in 26 attempts this season. Their best power hitter is Justin Journette, who has an OPS of 1.015, 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. He does strike out in almost a third of his at bats, but is still hitting for a respectable .303 AVG.
On the base paths, we will need to pay attention to Jamal Ritter, who has stolen 23 bases in 26 attempts this season. Their best power hitter is Justin Journette, who has an OPS of 1.015, 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. He does strike out in almost a third of his at bats, but is still hitting for a respectable .303 AVG.
Spiders lead 5-1 through 6 innings. E-Rod was able to get through 4.2 with just one allowed and Reinke has thrown 1.1 scoreless.
Top 4 of the lineup each have at least one RBI.
Close this one out!
Top 4 of the lineup each have at least one RBI.
Close this one out!
Spiders get four more in the 7th to lead 9–1 heading to the bottom.
We win 9-4. Good start to the weekend. Party hardy in Olean, the city of my birth!
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