QU Baseball Travels to James Madison to Open 2015 Season with Four Game Series
2/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (0-0, 0-0 MAAC) at.
James Madison Univeristy Dukes (2-2, 0-0 CAA)
Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park - Harrisonburg, Va.
Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 - 4 P.M.
Robbie Hitt (Suffield, Conn.) vs. Aaron Hoover
Live Stats
Live Audio
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 - 12 P.M. (DH)
Thomas Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) vs. Derek Shifflett
Live Stats
Live Audio
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 - 3 P.M. (DH)
Justin Thomas (Enfield, Conn.) vs. Mark Gunst
Live Stats
Live Audio
Sunday, Mar. 1, 2015 - 1 P.M.
Wyatt Hamilton (Falmouth, Mass.) vs. Ford Bradshaw
Live Stats
Live Audio
First Pitch
The Quinnipiac baseball team will open up the 2015 season with a four-game series at the James Madison Dukes after last weekend's series at George Washington was cancelled. The Bobcats first game of the season will start on Friday at 4 P.M. followed by a doubleheader Saturday beginning at Noon and the series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at 1 P.M.
Scouting the Bobcats
Quinnipiac returns many of its contributors from last season's team which finished tied for fourth in the MAAC regular season and won a playoff game in the MAAC Tournament. Vincent Guglietti(East Haven, Connecticut) highlights the list of returning position players as he led the Bobcats in nearly every offensive category. The first baseball finished last season as a second-team all-MAAC selection after a breakout season in Quinnipiac's first year in the MAAC. Sophomore shortstop Matt Batten returns after batting .260 in all 49 games for the Bobcats. Batten and Guglietti were the only two Bobcats to start and play in all 49 games. Catcher Lou Iannotti returns after his first season with Quinnipiac. The backstop batting 232 in 48 games as he provided valuable contribution as a catcher. The Bobcats also return both Rob Pescitelli and Mike Palladino. Pescitelli recorded 12 extra base-hits, walked 25 times and was hit by 17 pitches as he got on base at a clip of .436 to lead the team. Palladino was second to Guglietti on the team in doubles with 11 and provided valuable defensive contributions. The Bobcats also return their top starters from last season in Thomas Jankins (West Brookfield, Massachusetts) and Justin Thomas (Enfield, Connecticut). The duo comprised the top two spots in the rotation. Jankins went 5-7 with a 4.02 ERA to lead all starters. He also threw the must innings (87.1) and record the most strikeouts (48). Thomas went 2-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 13 starts, and allowed the second fewest hits of qualifying pitchers in the MAAC (54) and had the second lowest opponent batting average (.214). Two stalwarts also return to the bullpen in sophomore Matt Osieja and graduate student Gary Binkiewicz. Binkiewicz set the program record for saves in a season (7) and saves in a career (13) after walking on in 2013. Osieja made 25 appearances out of the bullpen as the lefty went 4-2 with a 3.21 ERA with a third best 28 strikeouts.
Scouting the Dukes
James Madison comes into the weekend series with Quinnipiac posting a 2-2 record through the first four games of the season. The Dukes won the first two games of the season before dropping the last two they have played. James Madison opened the 2014-15 season with three games in Boiling Springs, North Carolina at Gardner-Webb University. In the first game of the season, they took on Buffalo and picked up the 5-4 win thanks to a four-run fifth inning. Following that game, James Madison took on Gardner-Webb and came from behind to win, 9-6. The Dukes trailed 4-1 heading into the sixth inning before exploding for eight runs in innings six through nine, including six in the sixth. The Dukes lost their first game of the season to the Runnin' Bulldogs, 10-0. Gardner-Webb scored six runs in the first inning and didn't look back. Last time out, James Madison fell 6-5 to Longwood after taking a 4-3 lead into the ninth inning. Longwood scored three runs in the top of the ninth and James Madison could only must one in the bottom half, stranding runners on second and third. Kyle McPherson leads the Dukes with a .438 batting average, going 7-16 with six runs scored. Michaael Sciorra is 7-17 with a double, a triple and seven RBI. Bobby San Martin boasts the only home run of the season for the Dukes. The bullpen has been pretty solid for the Dukes as Michael Evans leads the team in strikeouts with eight in 4.1 innings. He is 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA and one save. Daniel Pinson has pitched four innings this season, including one start, picking up a no-decision and has a 2.25 ERA. The bullpen has given up a combined five earned runs in four games this season. Starters Mark Gunst and Aaron Hoover both took no-decisions in their first starts of the season, with each going 3.2 innings and allowing four runs, only two of Gunst's were earned. Derek Shifflett gave up nine earned runs in four innings to take the loss in his first start of the season and posting a 20.25 ERA.
Last Time These Two Teams Met
These two teams have never faced each other.
Last Time Out
The Bobcats were expected to play a three-game series at George Washington University, but it was ultimately cancelled due to the weather. Originally scheduled as a three-game series with single games Friday through Sunday, it was rescheduled to be a doubleheader on Saturday then a single game on Sunday. Due to snow that moved through the area, the doubleheader was pushed to Sunday and the single game was cancelled. Icy conditions developed Saturday night into Sunday morning, and the doubleheader had to be cancelled.
MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Quinnipiac was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the league at the beginning of February. The Bobcats received 73 points in the poll as Canisius was picked as the favorite to win the league with 115 points. Fairfield, Monmouth and Siena filled spots two through four in front of the Bobcats
Preseason All-MAAC Team
First baseman Vincent Guglietti was tabbed as the Preseason All-MAAC first baseman after an impressive first season in the MAAC after playing the previous two in the NEC with the Bobcats. Guglietti batted .341 with a .404 on base percentage and .503 slugging percentage. He also led Quinnipiac in hits (63) runs (29), doubles (13), home runs (5), RBI, (38), total bases (93), and was second in walks (18) and at bats (185).
NECBL Honors
Both Thomas Jankins and Vincent Guglietti enjoyed impressive summers with the Plymouth Pilgrims of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Guglietti was named the Most Improved Player in the league as he batted .303 in all 42 regular season games with seven home runs, nine doubles, 53 hits, 27 runs, 38 RBI, and 16 walks. He ranked near the top of the NECBL in almost every offensive category. Jankins was named the Robin Roberts Starting Pitcher of the Year after setting a new single-season ERA record with a 0.40 ERA. He started five of the 11 regular season games he appeared in, going 5-0 with a save and 41 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. He allowed just two earned runs and 22 hits for an opponent batting average of .156.
Pesky Pescitelli
Rob Pescitelli put up one of the more interesting stat lines in college baseball doing what Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane preaches every day: getting on base. Pescitelli led the Bobcats with 25 walks and 17 hit by pitches, added to his 29 hits gave him a .436 on base percentage. Not only was he able to get on, but he hit with power as Pescitelli cranked three doubles, six triples and three home runs for 12 extra base hits and .442 slugging percentage.
Records Were Meant to Be Broken
After walking on to the team during his junior academic year in 2013, Gary Binkiewicz immediately made an impact for the Bobcats. He recorded six saves to claim the Quinnipiac single-season saves record. Last season, Binkiewicz broke his own record by recording seven saves in the Bobcats 18 victories. Binkiewicz also broke the program record for career saves as he finished the season with 13 and looks to add on to his record in 2015.
Batten the Hatches
Matt Batten stepped right on to campus and made an immediate impact with the Quinnipiac baseball team as he claimed the starting shortstop spot. Batten was one of two players, the other being Guglietti, to start and play all 49 games. He batted a third-best .260 with a .312 on base percentage and .315 slugging percentage. Batten led the team with 200 at bats and 10 stolen bases, was second on the team with 52 hits, 27 runs, 63 total bases, and third on the team in doubles with 9 and RBI with 19. He was named a Futures Collegiate Baseball League All-Star as he hit .282 playing in 52 of the 53 teams' games. Batten hit five doubles, one home run, had 53 hits, scored 23 runs and drove in 30 RBI.
Dino Nuggets
Mike Palladino saw consistent playing time as a sophomore for the Bobcats, starting 42 of 45 games for the Bobcats. Palladino made just one error in 130 chances all season defensively for the Bobcats, leading to a.992 fielding percentage to lead the team. At the dish, Palladino batted .238 with a .339 on base percentage thanks to 14 walks and 11 hit by pitches. Palladino also finished second in doubles to Guglietti with 11.
Oh Can You Seize the Opportunity
Matt Osieja was one of the most important asset for the Bobcats out of the bullpen, as the lefthander appeared in 25 games for the Bobcats and hurled 42 innings. Osieja went 4-2 with a 3.21 ERA to lead the team in ERA. He also struck out 28 batters and saved one game. Osieja went for two or more innings in 12 of his 25 appearances, providing valuable innings on the mound.
On Deck
After the Bobcats series at George Washington this weekend, they will travel to James Madison next weekend for a four game series with a game on Friday, Feb. 27 at 4 P.M., doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 28 starting at Noon and the final game of the series on Sunday, March 1 at 1 P.M.
