University of Richmond Athletics
Baseball Preview: Richmond Hosting Bona In Final Weekend Series
05/15/2008 | Baseball
Richmond Spiders (19-29-2, 9-14-1)
vs. St. Bonaventure Bonnies (27-21, 13-11)
May 15 (3 p.m.) • May 16 (3 p.m.) • May 17 (12 p.m.)
Pitt Field • University of Richmond, Va.
Shorts Hops:
• The Richmond Spiders bring the 2008 season to a close at Pitt Field, playing host to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in a three-game series that begins Thursday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. both Thursday and Friday, with Saturday's Senior Day set for noon. Live video of all three games is available at RichmondSpiders.com and Saturday's game is live on ESPN Radio 950.
• Five Spiders will be honored Saturday on Senior Day during a pregame ceremony. Pitcher Rob Berzinskas, left fielder Hank Coogan, pitcher Alex Hale, third baseman Austin Reilly and center fielder Joe White will be recognized prior to their final game wearing the Richmond uniform.
• Although Saturday is Senior Day, Richmond's youth movement has been one of the team's dominate headlines this season. The Spiders have six -- sometimes seven -- underclassmen in the starting lineup, including today's starting pitcher, sophomore Matt Zielinski (pictured) and Saturday's probable starter, sophomore Jared Bard.
• Senior Hank Coogan and freshman Mike Mergenthaler own the two longest hitting streaks in the Atlantic 10 this season, respectively. Coogan had hit safely in 21-consecutive games (from April 1 to May 10) before his streak was halted at Old Dominion on Tuesday, while Mergenthaler owned a 19-game streak earlier this season. Coogan, who has been held hitless in just six of his 48 games this season, also hit safely in 15-straight games from March 2 to March 26 and the senior is sixth in the A-10 with his .359 average entering the weekend. His 21-game hitting streak stands as the sixth-longest in A-10 history.
• With three saves from senior Alex Hale and one each from junior Josh Horn and freshman Anthony Cafagna, the Spiders are a near-perfect 15-1-1 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 161-10-1 (.939) since 2001 when leading after the seventh, with five of the setbacks (13-5) coming in the 2006 season.
• The Spiders are outscoring the opposition a combined 92-46 in the fifth and ninth innings this season, including a commanding 33-11 edge in the ninth. Richmond used seven runs in each the fifth and ninth frames in the season-opening win over UNC-Wilmington -- the seven runs in the ninth broke a 16-16 tie en route to the 23-17 win. In the 6-3 win over George Mason on April 9th, the Spiders scored three in the ninth to break a 3-3 tie.
