BC BASEBALL PREVIEW: Eagles Play Three in Cary

THE FACTS

WHERE: USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C.
WHEN: Friday, March 2 at 2:30 p.m. | Saturday, March 3 at noon | Sunday, March 3 at 11:30 a.m.
OPPONENTS: Niagara (1-2) | Bryant (0-6) | Army West Point (3-4)
RECORDS vs. OPPONENTS: 2-0 vs. Niagara | 9-3 vs. Bryant | 0-1 vs. Army

HOW TO FOLLOW
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Twitter:  @BCBirdball

THE MATCHUP

Pitching Matchups
FRIDAY: RHP Jacob Stevens (1-1, 7.11 ERA) | NU: LHP Cody Eckerson (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
SATURDAY: LHP Dan Metzdorf (0-1, 7.04 ERA) vs. LHP Jack Patterson (0-1, 5.59 ERA)
SUNDAY: RHP Brian Rapp (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP Sam Messina (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Scouting the teams

• Niagara comes into the weekend with a 1-2 record after a three-game series with Longwood. The Purple Eagles earned a 15-2 victory in their first game of the season last weekend, but fell, 8-7 and 5-4, in a doubleheader to lose the series.
• In his start last Friday, LHP Cody Eckerson threw four innings, allowing five hits, two runs – both earned – one walk and struck out seven. He did not get a decision.
• Greg Cullen leads the way at the plate for NU. He has a .600 batting average with nine hits, five runs, six RBIs and two homers in three starts.
• This is one of two times the Eagles will face Bryant times this season. The two New England teams will also battle in Brighton on April 25. The Bulldogs are looking for their first win of 2018, but have faced tough opponents in Arizona and Auburn to start the year.
• Saturday starter LHP Jack Patterson has allowed nine hits, seven runs – six earned – six walks and struck out seven in 9.2 innings this season. He has made two starts and compiled an 0-1 record.
• Sam Owens leads the team with a .462 batting average, while Tyler Panno has eight RBIs, three home runs, and a .750 slugging percentage.
• Army West Point boasts the most wins of the teams the Eagles will face on the weekend with a 3-4 record. The Black Knights collected a win against Michigan the first weekend of the season and took two of three at Maryland last weekend.
• Sunday’s pitcher RHP Sam Messina is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts. He has allowed 10 hits, nine runs – eight earned – with seven walks and eight strikeouts over eight innings.
• Jon Rosoff leads the way with a .348 batting average and Matt Hudgins has nine hits, including four doubles.
• Former BC associate head coach Jim Foster (2015-16) leads the Black Knights while former volunteer assistant John Murphy (2016-17) is an assistant under Foster.

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES

• The Eagles started the season 2-1, taking two of three at Santa Clara opening weekend. They then went 1-2 at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla., falling to Minnesota and No. 20 Indiana, before coming from behind in the ninth to beat Rutgers.
• In the last four games, BC has not committed an error, ranking second in the ACC with a .981 fielding percentage.
• Sophomore Brian Dempsey has a hit in five of the Eagles’ six games this season, now tallying at least one in 19 of the last 26 games played. His .400 batting average is eighth in the ACC. He tied a career-high with four hits and logged a career-high three RBIs in the win against Rutgers on Feb. 25.
• Senior Jake Palomaki broke the Boston College all-time walks record in just three years and he continues to add to the total, which is currently 122. He has reached base safely 286 times in his BC career, 10th all-time. His .424 career on-base percentage is sixth, the 41 career stolen bases are tied for sixth and his 17 sacrifice hits is tied for ninth.
• Junior Jake Alu recorded a hit in 19 of the final 22 games of last season and logged a career-long, nine-game hit streak. He hit his first career home run in the second game of the series at Santa Clara on Feb. 17 and tied a career high with four in the win against Rutgers on Feb. 25.
• Junior Gian Martellini started 52 games for the Eagles behind the plate last season and logged at least one hit in 42 of them. This season, he has a hit in four of BC’s six games with two multi-hit games.
• Junior RHP Thomas Lane has started the season strong. In four appearances, he has a 1.23 ERA with four Ks. He earned his first career save in the rubber match at Santa Clara on Feb. 18, coming in with the bases loaded and one out in a 3-1 game. He forced a fly out and a strikeout to get BC out of a jam. He then went on to pitch a perfect ninth. He picked up a win on Feb. 25, throwing the final 1.1 innings against Rutgers and striking out two.
• Sophomore Jack Cunningham has a hit in four of the Eagles’ first six games. He put up career numbers in the second game of the season, tallying three hits on the day with one run and one RBI.
• Redshirt freshman LHP Joey Walsh is perfect on the mound in his first three appearances. In 3.2 innings of relief, he has allowed just one unearned run, three hits and struck out two
• Junior RHP Sean Hughes (3.1 IP) freshman LHP Will Hesslink (2.0 IP), freshman RHP Jack Hodgson (2.0 IP) and senior LHP Carmen Giampetruzzi (1.2 IP) have not allowed an earned run in their relief outings this season.
• Freshman Chris Galland made his first career start playing left field the comeback win against Rutgers. He was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, logging his first two career RBIs and first career double. He has three hits and three runs on the year.
• Redshirt junior Scott Braren returned to the lineup on Feb. 17 after missing the majority of 2017 with a torn ACL, suffered eight games into last season. In five games, he has four hits, two runs, and an RBI.  In 2016, he led the Eagles with a .333 batting average.