University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Welcome Delaware Blue Hens To Pitt Field
02/25/2005 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2005
Complete Spider Baseball Series Notes in PDF Format
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Richmond (2-2) hosts Delaware (0-3) - Feb. 26-27
Site: Pitt Field (600) - Richmond, Va.
Game Times: Saturday (DH) - Noon, Sunday - 1 p.m.
Rankings: Richmond is not ranked. Delaware is not ranked.
Coaches: Richmond's Ron Atkins is 643-446-4 in his 21st season at Richmond and overall. Delaware's Jim Sherman is 134-96 in his fifth season at Delaware and 352-223 in his 12th season overall.
Pressbox Phone: 804.289.8714
Radio: None
Internet: Gametracker (livestats) is available for all three games.
Gametracker - Saturday (Game 1)
Gametracker - Saturday (Game 2)
Gametracker - Sunday
Television: None
Tentative Richmond Rotation
Saturday - Game 1: Ja Jones, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
Saturday - Game 2: Brian Alas, RHP, Fr. (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sunday: Rob Berzinskas, RHP, So. (0-0, 1.80 ERA)
The Delaware Series
The Spider baseball squad (2-2) will attempt to regain its edge at Pitt Field this weekend when the Delaware Blue Hens (0-3) visit for a three-game series. Saturday, Feb. 26, the teams will play a doubleheader beginning at noon. The third game of the series is slated for 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27.
Leading the Spiders offensively into the Delaware series is junior Ben Zeskind and freshman Joe White. Zeskind has recorded a hit in all four contests this season, extending his hit streak to 10 games dating back to the 2004 season. He currently leads the team with six base knocks.
White has been on fire since being inserted as the team's designated hitter last weekend. The Richmond, Va., native leads the team with a .500 average and has recorded multiple hits in his last two starts. The freshman lead-off hitter has one double and is tied for the team lead with four RBI.
Sophomore Matt McKenna also has a notable hit streak of four games. The Richmond, Va., native has recorded at least one hit in the Spiders' first four contests and has scored at least one run in each of the last three for Richmond.
Junior Ja Jones, freshman Brian Alas and sophomore Rob Berzinskas are scheduled to start in the three-game set. Jones did not allow a hit until the fifth inning in his first Richmond start. He ended the start by striking out five and walking two in six innings.
Alas was named the A-10 Pitcher and Rookie of the Week Monday after his two-win performance in Charleston, S.C.
Berzinskas did not allow a hit in his first start of the season. The Clinton, Conn., struck out six in five innings of work.
Cronin Listed On The NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
Senior John Cronin is among 30 relievers on the NCBWA's inaugural Stopper of the Year Award Watch List, organization officials announced Feb. 23.
Cronin finished the 2004 season with a team record nine saves, which also ranked second in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Branford, Conn., native appeared in a team record 30 contests and sported a team-best record of 5-1 to end the season. His nine saves in 2004 helped him surpass the Richmond career saves mark of 12 as he now has 15 in his three seasons as a Spider. The righthander fanned 36 in 47.2 innings of work and carried an ERA of 3.40.
A mid-season release, including the national saves leaders, will be updated during the week of April 18. At the end the regular season, the Division I leader in saves and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as the award's first finalists. These finalists will be released Wednesday, June 1, just prior to the beginning of NCAA Regional play.
From the list of finalists, the NCBWA's All-America Committee will select a winner. The first annual winner will be announced Wednesday, June 8, two days prior to the beginning of NCAA Super Regional action.
Alas Named Atlantic 10 Pitcher and Rookie of the Week
Freshman Brian Alas was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher and Rookie of the Week following two stellar relief efforts for the Spiders, league officials announced Feb. 21.
The Port Washington, N.Y., native garnered a 2-0 record in two relief appearances at the Homewood Suites Shootout in Charleston, S.C., Feb. 18-20. In Richmond's first game of the season, Alas worked 1.1 innings of no-hit baseball, striking out one and retiring four straight to earn the first win of his career.
The Chaminade High School native made his second appearance of the weekend Sunday, Feb. 20, against The Citadel and walked away with another win. He was called on in the sixth with the game tied at 2-2 and saw the Spider score three in the 10th. The righthander retired 12 of the 19 he faced, did not allow a run on three hits and fanned six in five innings.
Thirty Percent Returns In 2005
By the numbers, the Spiders return approximately 30 percent of what the squad produced last season. Richmond went to the plate 1839 times last season, 615 (33%) of which are back. Junior Ben Zeskind led the team in hits last season which leads to 30% of the production returning this season (147 of 487). Zeskind was also responsible for 50 runs last season and helps return 33 percent of the team's runs this season (112 of 344).
Head coach Ron Atkins has a great nucleus to build his base running game. Twenty-eight of the team's 65 stolen bases (43%) are back from a year ago. A complete breakdown is shown below.
2005 Returning Production
Item - 2004 Total - Returns in 2005
At-bats - 1839 - 615 (33%)
Average - .265 - .239
Extra Base Hits - 156 - 47 (30%)
Hits - 487 - 147 (30%)
Homeruns - 42 - 4 (10%)
Multi-hit Games - 115 - 29 (25%)
Multi-RBI Games - 73 - 18 (25%)
RBI - 318 - 91 (29%)
Runs - 344 - 112 (33%)
Stolen Bases - 65-86 - 28-33 (43%-38%)
Baseball America Recognizes Three Spiders
Junior Tim Rice and freshmen Austin Reilly and Alex Hale were listed as Atlantic 10 Conference "Players To Watch" by Baseball America in its 2005 College Preview edition. Rice was among five players in the issue's A-10 Conference Top Prospects. Reilly and Hale were two of three listed as Atlantic 10 Top Newcomers.
Preseason Polls Pick Richmond To Win Or Finish Second In A-10 West
In voting conducted by the Atlantic 10 Conference coaches, Richmond was picked to the win the Western Division for the third time in the last four seasons. A week after the coaches picked the league finish, Baseball America listed the Spiders second in the Western Division behind George Washington in its 2005 College Preview special. Since joining the A-10 in 2002 the Spiders have won two divisional crowns and captured the overall league championship in 2002.
