Baseball Embarks on Five-Game Weekend Against NYU and Staten Island With .500 Mark In Sights

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team (9-11) will look to get over the .500 mark for the first time this season with a five-game stretch in three days, facing both New York University and the College of Staten Island.

They will take on NYU for a single game Friday at 3:00 p.m. then face them again Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. at MCU Park. The team will then go on the road for a double dip with the Dolphins Sunday starting at 12:00 p.m.

Game Information

Opponent: New York University (8-16)
Date: Friday, April 10th

Time: 3 p.m.

Field: MCU Park | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Coverage: Live Stats | Video

Date: Saturday, April 11th

Time: 12 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Field: MCU Park | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Coverage: Live Stats | Video

Opponent: College of Staten Island (10-7)
Date: Sunday, April 12th

Time: 12 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Field: CSI Baseball Field | Staten Island, N.Y.
Coverage: Audio | Live Stats

Team Links

St. Joseph's (Bklyn): Roster | Schedule | Statistics | NCAA Ranking Summary
New York University: Roster | Schedule | Statistics 

Staten Island: Roster | Schedule | Statistics 

Quick Hits

• St. Joseph's have won three of their last four games, and are looking to go above .500 for the first time this season with this five-game stretch.
• Senior Thomas McKenna leads the Bears with a .455 batting average, is first with eight stolen bases, and is currently tied for first with 11 runs batted in.
• Rosario DiLorenzo (1-3) was named AD3I Player of the Week after recording his first win following his complete game outing in an extra-inning victory over Old Westbury on April 3rd.
• Chris Cutrone is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, hitting over .400 and connecting on three doubles during the seven-game span.
• The Bears look for their first win in school history against NYU, losing the first three games against the Violets.
• NYU is aiming to bounce back after dropping three of their last four games, including two losses against Skyline Conference foe Mount Saint Vincent.
• In the first USCAA Coaches Poll of the season, the Bears entered tied for No. 11 with NTHI.
• The Dolphins are coming into the game rolling, winning their last five games.
• Staten Island's Glenn Glennerster is hitting a conference-best .467 (21-for-45) and slugging .689 with two homers, 14 runs scored and 13 RBI.
• The student-athletes competing at St. Joseph's College are among over 185,000 student who play varsity sports in the NCAA's largest division, and all are joining in the nationwide celebration of Division III week. 

About Division III Week

Did you know that on average, about one-fifth of students enrolled at NCAA Division III member schools participate in varsity athletics? This week, St. Joseph's College joins approximately 450 Division III schools and 43 conferences in the nationwide celebration of NCAA Division III Week. We are proud of our student-athletes, who excel both in the classroom and in athletic competition while demonstrating leadership, community service and campus involvement.

All-Time Series

vs. NYU: First varsity meeting. The Bears are 0-3 overall against the Violets club team, last facing them in 2009.

vs. Staten Island: St. Joseph's is 4-11 all-time against the Dolphins dating back to 2008. Last season, Staten Island took two out of three matchups against them.

Last Meetings

vs. New York University (club)

In their last showdown, St. Joseph's dropped a 14-10 shootout against the Violets club team on March 19, 2009 despite collecting 10 runs and 12 hits on the afternoon. Four different Bears drove in a run, including Anthony Langone who plated two runs in a losing effort.

vs. Staten Island

The Bears fell short against the College of Staten Island, 6-5, at MCU Park on April 9, 2014 as the Dolphins grabbed a ninth-inning run for the win.

Joseph Mendez concluded the day with two doubles, going 2-for-5 with an RBI in a losing cause. Mike Cundari and Chris Cutrone both connected on two hits along with a run scored. Domenick Camerada, Francis Rapp, Anthony DeFillippo and Thomas McKenna each finished with a hit and a run driven in.

The Bear Facts

Coming into this weekend, three Bears enter hitting .300 or higher. Outfielder Thomas McKenna tops the Bears on the offensive end. The senior leads the team with a .355 batting average (22-for-62) and has driven in a team-high-tying 11 RBI with eight runs scored, while also stealing a team-high eight bases. 

Chris Cutrone is currently on a seven-game hitting streak hitting .400 over the stretch with four doubles. He is coming off a three-hit outing in the Bears' loss to FDU-Florham. The senior currently leads the team with 14 runs scored, .448 slugging and two homers.

Shortstop Francis Rapp is tied for the team lead with McKenna with 11 RBI to go with seven runs scored. Domenick Camerada follows closely with 10 RBI and recently had a six-game hitting streak snapped.

Third baseman Nicholas LoPrinzi is second on the Bears with a .333 batting average (22-for-66) and is tied for second with 10 RBI and eight runs scored.

On the mound, Mitch Brigando has compiled a 4-0 record, tossing four complete games. He boasts a team-leading 2.96 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 24.1 innings of work. Brian Luebcke has compiled two wins with a 3.15 earned run average, striking out 17 batters over 20.0 innings.

Bears Enter First USCAA Coaches Poll at No. 11

In the first United States Collegiate Athletic Association Coaches Poll released last Friday (4/3), the Bears were ranked tied at No. 11 with New Hampshire Technical Institute. The Bears were 26 points behind Iowa Wesleyan at No. 10. 

DiLorenzo Named AD3I Player the Week

Bears starting pitcher Rosario DiLorenzo was tabbed the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) Player of the Week for his performance this week on the mound.

The junior earned his first victory on the season when he went the distance, throwing eight strong innings and allowing just two runs while striking out five batters in the Bears' 3-2 extra-inning win over Old Westbury on April 3rd, the Bears first ever win over their future Skyline Conference rivals.

This is the second time the junior has been tabbed AD3I Player of the Week and the third weekly award in his career.

Violets Watch

In their first season with baseball as a varsity sport after a 41-year hiatus, NYU has compiled an 8-16 record and have lost three out of their last four games.

Michael Vokulich has a .292 average and a team-high 18 RBI and seven doubles. CJ Picerni and Jonathan Ialone have each plated 16 runs this season. Picerni is batting .329 with two home runs while Ialone has a .321 average and six extra-base hits.

Sophomore Adrian Spitz leads the team with a scorching .390 batting average (23-of-59) over 16 games and has driven in 10 runs with a team-best 17 stolen bases. On the mound, Cameron Serapillo-Frank has two wins including a complete game, leading the team with 30 strikeouts over 42.2 innings pitched.

NYU Last Time Out vs. Mount Saint Vincent

The Violets split a doubleheader their last time out against Mount Saint Vincent, winning the first game 13-1, before falling 16-10 in game two on April 8th at MCU Park.

Cameron Serapilio-Frank earned his third win of the season on the mound in game one for NYU, allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings. The Violets' offense took over scoring 13 unanswered after allowing the first run.

In game two, the Dolphins exploded for 10 runs in the seventh innings to overcome a four-run deficit in the final frame.

Dolphin Tales

The Dolphins have the two best hitters in the CUNYAC right now in Glenn Glennerster is hitting a conference-best .467 (21-for-45) and slugging .689 with two homers, 14 runs scored and 13 RBI. Nick Delprete is second in the CUNYAC with a .433 batting average along with a team-best 26 hits, five triples and nine runs batted in.

Joe Palmeri is the top runs producer on Staten Island, plating 15 runs batted in which is tied for third in the conference. Freshman Elijah Rodriguez is coming off an outstanding week, earning the ECAC Metro-Division III Rookie of the Week. He has hit .409 the past week with six RBI, nine runs and six extra-base hits.

On the mound, Brian Russell has a 3-1 record with a conference-best 0.64 ERA and is tied for first with three complete games. Last week's ECAC Metro-Division III Pitcher of the Week has also fanned 29 batters (second in the CUNYAC) in 28.0 innings. Opponents have hit just a paltry .154 against him.

Staten Island Last Time Out vs. Lehman College

Staten Island scored eight unanswered runs to score a come-from-behind, 11-8, win over Lehman College on April 6th in the Bronx. Glenn Glennerster led the way for Staten Island, going three-for-five with a home run and four RBI.

Frank Muzzio added a homer of his own with two runs driven in, while Nick Delprete also contributed two RBI and two runs scored. All together, six different Dolphins drove in a run and seven crossed the plate in a balanced attack.

Up Next – Maritime (N.Y.) at Throggs Neck, N.Y.

Following this five-game run, St. Joseph's will face off with Maritime (N.Y.). After splitting a doubleheader last time out on March 15th, the Bears and Privateers will face off in the rubber match Thursday, April 16th in Throggs Neck, N.Y. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.