University of Richmond Athletics
Baseball Preview: Richmond Hosts Rhody In Key A-10 Series At Pitt
04/18/2008 | Baseball
April 18, 2008
Richmond Spiders (15-20-1, 6-6 A-10)
vs. Rhode Island Rams (17-19, 6-6 A-10)
Friday, April 18 • 3 p.m.
Pitt Field • University of Richmond, Va.
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Short Hops:
• Richmond returns home Friday as the Rhode Island Rams roll into the West End for a key three-game Atlantic 10 series at Pitt Field. The Spiders and Rams are each 6-6 in league play and locked in three-way tie for sixth-place with George Washington. Friday's game starts at 3 p.m., Saturday's at 2 p.m. and Sunday's at noon.
• The Spiders slipped to 15-20-1 overall as Richmond's "Week of the Ram" began Tuesday with an 11-5 setback versus the VCU Rams at The Diamond. The Spiders trailed just 6-5 heading to the bottom of the eighth before the Rams pulled away. The Rhody Rams are in town this weekend and the VCU Rams play at Pitt Field next Tuesday at 3 p.m.
• A preseason No. 2 selection in the Atlantic 10, Richmond finished third in the conference last season with a 32-28 record overall (12-9 in A-10 play). Charlotte, which won both the regular-season and tournament titles last year, was picked to repeat in 2008.
YOUTH MOVEMENT •Nearly half of the Spiders' 232 RBI this season have been driven in by a total of four underclassmen -- sophomore Evan Stehle and freshmen Billy Barber, Mike Mergenthaler and Andrew Lowry. Led by the 10 homers and 41 RBI from Barber, that quartet has combined to hit 21 homers, drive in 115 runs and bat .309 collectively (153-of-495). Stehle, Barber and Lowry have hit three of Richmond's four grand slams.
R.I.S.P. & REWARD • As a team this season, the Spiders are batting a red-hot .350 (151-of-432) with runners in scoring position. Evan Stehle (.463) right behind, while the opposition is batting .323 with RISP. Andrew Lowry .455 average leads the team in A-10 play.
IT'S CLOSING TIME • With three saves from Alex Hale and another from Anthony Cafagna, the Spiders are a spotless 12-0 this year when leading after the seventh inning, a season removed from going 27-0 in that category in 2007 thanks to one of nation's best closers (Brian Alas). In fact, Richmond is 158-9 (.946) since 2001 when leading after the seventh, with five of the setbacks (13-5) coming in the 2006 season.
A-10 STANDINGS • At 6-6, the Spiders find themselves in a three-way tie for sixth place with George Washington and Rhode Island. URI is Richmond's opponent this weekend at Pitt Field, while Dayton is at GW.
