University of Richmond Athletics
Baseball Set For Midweek Tilts At No. 23 East Carolina, Home Versus Longwood
03/17/2009 | Baseball
March 17, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - After a weekend of more rainouts, the Richmond baseball team returns to action this week with a pair of non-conference match-ups versus No. 23 East Carolina and Longwood, before opening Atlantic 10 play this weekend against Massachusetts. Tuesday's game at ECU is set for 6 p.m. with Wednesday's home game with the Lancers set for 3 p.m.
Richmond remains home this weekend to open Atlantic 10 play versus Massachusetts at Pitt Field. The series opens Friday at 3 p.m., continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes Sunday at noon.
MID-WEEK LIVE LINKS
Please note: Live video from ECUPirates.com requires a subscription purchase
Please note, live video will not be available for Wednesday's game
QUICK HITTERS
• Richmond is 9-3 on the season after opening 2009 with seven-consecutive wins. At 7-0, it marked the Spiders' best start since going 10-0 to open to 2002 campaign, which ended in an A-10 West Division Championship and the NCAA Super Regional.
• The Spiders and Pirates renew a longtime rivalry on the diamond, having met 93 previous times with ECU holding a 51-42 advantage. The teams were members of the Southern Conference, then the CAA, and have not met since 2001 -- the last year before Richmond left for the A-10 and ECU departed for Conference USA.
• Longwood makes its Pitt Field visit on Wednesday for the second-half of the team's 2009 home-and-home series. Richmond won in Farmville, 7-4, on Feb. 24 as the Spiders scored four times in the ninth for a comeback win.
• Junior 3B Cameron Brown has at least a hit in every game this season and continues to lead the club with his sizzling .511 batting average (24-of-47). Brown has five doubles, two homers, 13 RBI and has scored a team-leading 21 times.
• Senior closer Brian Alas became the Spiders all-time saves leader with his 21st career save in last Monday's 14-13 thriller over Seton Hall. Alas, now with 22 saves, broke the record of 20 previously held by John Cronin (2002-05). The senior already has four this season and owns a 1.50 ERA in 6.0 innings.
• Freshman SS Adam McConnell leads a very aggressive team on the bases with his 10 steals in 12 attempts. McConnell was successful on the first 10 attempts in his college career. As a team, Richmond is 35-of-45 in steals and on pace to shatter the school's single-season record of 116 (2003).
LAST TIME OUT
• Thanks to the rain, Richmond has not played since March 12, when the Spiders dropped the finale to Bryant, 4-2. The Bulldogs took the series by limiting the Spiders to a season-low six hits. Although BU starter Kevin Cobb took a perfect game into the fourth, the Bulldogs led just 1-0 until Andrew Lowry drove in Mike Mergenthaler in the fifth.
• BU scored three times in the seventh to break the game open, but Mergenthaler scored again in the seventh and Richmond saw the tying run come to the plate in the eighth and ninth innings.
WALK MUCH?
• Richmond pitchers have racked up 107 strikeouts against just 44 walks in 2009 for an impressive ratio of 2.4-to-1. Senior reliever Josh Horn has 13 Ks to just one walk in 12.0 innings this season and is already 3-1.
• On the other hand, Richmond batters have drawn 73 walks (led by Cameron Brown 12) against 78 strikeouts thus far. Starting 1B Mike Mergenthaler has fanned just twice in 43 at-bats.
RISP AND REWARD
• As a team, the Spiders are batting .342 (65-of-190) this season with runners in scoring position -- and freshman backup C Chris Cowell is leading the way at .500 (six-of-12).
• Brown is at .476 (10-of-21) and another freshman -- SS Adam McConnell -- is at .467 (seven-of-15).
• In 2008, the Spiders batted .315 with runners in scoring position.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
• Of Richmond's five leading hitters in 2009, three are either freshmen or sophomores -- freahman Adam McConnell. Five of Richmond's nine starting position players are either freshmen or sophomores.
• Cowell, whose made six starts at catcher, is batting .450 with two homers, two doubles and 12 RBI. His 12 RBI have come off just nine hits.
• Mergenthaler is batting .419 with six doubles a homer, 14 RBI and has struck out just twice in 43 at bats.
• McConnell, who was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week on March 2, leads the team in steals (10-of-12) and is batting .365 with 19 runs.
COMEBACK KIDS
• Already in 2009, the Spiders have needed to dig themselves out of first-inning deficits four times and are 3-1 when doing so.
• Richmond's biggest comeback came versus Seton Hall when the Pirates opened a 4-0 lead after the first inning, opened that to 8-0 in the second, before the Spiders rallied and won the game 14-13.
• The Spiders trailed Niagara 4-0 after the top of the first inning, but rallied for a 16-9 win.
PRESEASON STUFF
• The Spiders were tabbed fourth in the preseason poll of A-10 coaches, after finishing 12th and missing the A-10 tournament last season.
• Junior C Evan Stehle was a Preseason All-Conference pick by Yahoo Sports!/Rivals.com in its preseason college baseball preview.
