QU Baseball Hosts Rider For Three-Game Series, Senior Day Set for Saturday

Saturday, May 7

Hamden, CT

3 PM

Quinnipiac University

Rider

QU Baseball Hosts Rider For Three-Game Series, Senior Day Set for Saturday

5/3/2016 8:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: QU Sports Information

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (17-26, 6-9 MAAC) at
Rider University Broncs (14-27, 6-9 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2016
Time: 1 PM
Location: QU Baseball Field - Hamden, Connecticut
All-Time Series vs. Rider: 1-5
Last Meeting: W, 9-7 (May 10, 2015 - Lawrenceville, N.J.)
Probable Starters: Nick Margevicius (3-6, 2.87 ERA) at Thomas Jankins (4-5, 3.27 ERA)

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (17-26, 6-9 MAAC) at
Rider University Broncs (14-27, 6-9 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2016
Time: 4 PM
Location: QU Baseball Field - Hamden, Connecticut
All-Time Series vs. Rider: 1-5
Last Meeting: W, 9-7 (May 10, 2015 - Lawrenceville, N.J.)
Probable Starters: Vincenzo Aiello (3-6, 4.43 ERA) at Taylor Luciani (3-3, 3.08 ERA)

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (17-26, 6-9 MAAC) at
Rider University Broncs (14-27, 6-9 MAAC)
Date: Sunday, May 8, 2016 *Senior Day*
Time: 12 PM
Location: QU Baseball Field - Hamden, Connecticut
All-Time Series vs. Rider: 1-5
Last Meeting: W, 9-7 (May 10, 2015 - Lawrenceville, N.J.)
Probable Starters: Brett Kosciolek (3-1, 5.55 ERA) at Alex Vargas (1-1, 3.25 ERA)

Follow the Bobcats:
Live Video (Game 1 - May 7): QU All-Access
Live Video (Game 2 - May 7): QU All-Access
Live Video (May 8): QU All-Access
Live Stats: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
Twitter - @TheQBaseball

Playoff Implications
The Quinnipiac baseball team hosts the Rider Broncs in its final home series of the 2016 season this weekend with major playoff implications on the line. Both teams come in with 6-9 records in MAAC play and will begin the series on Saturday, May 7 at 1 PM with a doubleheader. Prior to the doubleheader, the Bobcats will honor their member senior class beginning at 12:35 PM. The final game of the series is slated for Sunday, May 8 at 12 PM.

All-Time Against Rider
The Bobcats come into the series with an 1-5 record all-time against the Rider Broncs, with four of the six meetings coming with the Bobcats as a member of the MAAC. Quinnipiac's only win came in their last meeting between the two teams with a 9-7 win. Ben Gibson hit his first career two-home run game while Julius Saporito also went deep in the game.

Scouting the Broncs
Rider comes into the series with a similar record to Quinnipiac at 14-27 and 6-9 in the MAAC. Last time out, Rider lost its three game series with the Siena Saints, 2-1, despite winning the final game of the series, 20-7. Prior to that win, Rider had lost three straight games. No starter is batting over .300 for the Broncs with Jake Bender leading the team with a .283 batting average, 45 hits and 27 runs scored. Tyler Kaiser has been the top offensive weapon with 20 extra base hits this season, ripping 15 doubles with two doubles and three home runs with 19 RBIs. The starting pitchers have been solid for Rider, led by Nick Margevicius who has a 2.87 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings despite a 3-6 record.

Senior Day Saturday
Quinnipiac is honoring its four graduating seniors with its annual senior day festivities on Saturday with ceremonies beginning at 11:35 AM: Lou Iannotti, Justin Thomas, Joseph Scaglione and John Bodenhamer.

Lou Iannotti (North Haven, Connecticut)
Lou Iannotti has been one of the best catchers in Quinnipiac baseball history since transferring to Quinnipiac after his freshman season at Siena. Iannotti was named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List this season after getting off to a hot start. He has 144 hits in three seasons in a Quinnipiac uniform, scoring 66 runs and driving in 86 RBIs. He is a two-time MAAC All-Academic Team Selection and was named to the NEIBA All-Star Game last season.

Justin Thomas (Enfield, Connecticut)
Justin Thomas is the only four-year senior member of the Bobcats where he was a starting pitcher for the first three seasons. In his career, Thomas is 12-12 with 144 strikeouts. Last season against Siena, Thomas had the best start of his career where he struck out 11 batters in seven innings. This season, Thomas has started and relieved, transitioning into the bullpen in the second half of the season. Thomas is 2-2 with a 5.48 ERA and has struck out 32 batters in 42 2/3 innings.

Joseph Scaglione (Wyckoff, New Jersey)
Joseph Scaglione has enjoyed three seasons as a member of the Quinnipiac Bobcats, picking up four wins. He served his junior season as a weekday starter, striking out 25 batters in 41 innings. Scaglione has 47 strikeouts in three seasons at Quinnipiac after transferring from Triton College as a freshman where he struck out 28 batters in 30 2/3 innings.

John Bodenhamer (Maple Valley Washington)
John Bodenhamer transferred to Quinnipiac last season after spending the first two seasons of his career at Bellevue College. Last season, Bodenhamer batted .277 with a .351 on base percentage and .327 on base percentage and was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. While at Bellevue, Bodenhamer hit six home runs with 25 RBIs in his sophomore season. This year, Bodenhamer has three douobles and one home run with eight runs scored and five RBIs in 45 at bats. Bodenhamer provided the heroics against Iona just a few weeks ago with the walk-off single in the bottom of the 13^th inning.

Last Time Out
The Bobcats were swept in a three-game series by Monmouth to lower their MAAC record to 6-9 and a three-way tie for seventh in the MAAC. Matthew Batten was one of the few bright spots in the weekend as he recorded a two-home run game.

Power Threat
Matthew Batten hit his first career multi-home run game of his career as he crushed two home runs in the second game of their three-game series with the Monmouth Hawks. Batten has had a power surge this season, belting the only four runs of his career. His two-home run game was his 17^th multiple-hit game this season. Batten leads the team with 60 hits, 15 extra base hits and 16 stolen bases while his 34 runs scored, four home runs and 23 RBIs are second on the team and his nine doubles are third.

Burning the Bats
Joseph Burns hit his fourth home run of the season for the Bobcats against Monmouth in the final game of the three game series. Burns also hit a double in the weekend series for his 11^th of the season. Burns is tied with Batten and Brian Moskey with 15 extra base hits for the most on the team. He has hits in nine of the last 10 games to raise his average to .247 this season. Batten also has 23 walks for the second most on the team.

Walk This Way
Rob Pescitelli was the only other Bobcat to tally an extra base hit as he roped his fourth double of the season against the Hawks and drove in one RBI. Pescitelli also walked two more times to give him a .400 on base percentage for the weekend. Pescitelli leads the Bobcats with 35 runs scored, five home runs, 32 walks, eight hit by pitches, a .442 on base percentage and 16 walks while his 48 hits, 25 RBIs and .461 slugging percentage are second on the team.

Mr. Consistent
Despite taking a no decision, Taylor Luciani made the best start of the weekend for the Bobcats as he went 5 1/3 and did not allow a single earned run. He allowed just two hits with one walk and struck out four batters. Luciani lowered his ERA to 3.08 on the season, the second lowest on the team. Luciani has pitched the second most inning pitched with 61 1/3 with 52 hits, 26 runs (21 earned), 19 walks and 39 strikeouts, the second most strikeouts on the team. His .227 opponent batting average is also the second lowest on the team.

Just Throwin'
Justin Thomas provided some valuable relief this weekend for the Bobcats as he pitched five innings, the third most innings pitched by any pitcher on the team. Thomas came on for Alex Vargas in the final game of the series, allowing just two runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Between his time as starting pitcher and a reliever, Thomas has pitched the third most innings on the team at 42 2/3 and fourth most strikeouts with 32.

Approaching Some Records
Thomas Jankins notched his 61^st strikeout of the season, becoming the first Bobcats pitcher with 60 or more strikeouts since the 2012 season when Derek Lammacchia struck out 65 batters. Jankins' 61 strikeouts are the sixth most in Quinnipiac Division I baseball history. Jankins also has 162 strikeouts in his career, approaching Turk Wendell's 169 strikeouts for the 10^th most strikeouts all-time in program history. He is 11 strikeouts from tying Chris Wakefield for the fourth most strikeouts in the program's Division I history.

Wednesday Warrior
Brandon Shileikis made his best start of the season on Wednesday afternoon as he allowed just one hit over six shutout innings. The win was Shileikis' third of the season while lowering his ERA to 2.10. Shileikis struck out two batters in the game, giving him seven this season in 25 2/3 innings pitched.

Senior Weekend
The Bobcats will host the Rider Broncs this weekend in their final three home games of the season. The series will open up on Saturday, May 7 at 12 and 3 PM followed by their Senior Day game on Sunday, May 8 at 12 PM.