Birdball Opens Home Slate Tuesday vs. Holy Cross

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Earliest Home Game in BC Baseball History Set for Tuesday at Harrington Athletics Village

Pitching Match-Up:

3:30 p.m.: RHP-Emmet Sheehan (0-0, 0.00) vs. CJ McKennitt (0-2, 9.90)

Radio: WZBC (90.3 FM, WZBC.org)

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team hosts Holy Cross for its home opener at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 at the Harrington Athletics Village. The game will mark the earliest home game played in Eagles’ history; beating the previous mark of March 19 set in 2000 vs. Connecticut at Shea Field.

About the Eagles…

Boston College is 8-6 on the season after a 6-4 win at No. 8 Louisville on Sunday. Freshman outfielder Sal Frelickleads the team in hitting (.400), home runs (3), RBI (17), slugging (.673), OBP (.478) and stolen bases (11). Freshman second baseman Cody Morissette is second on the team with a .333 average and .526 slugging percentage to go with a team-high five doubles. Senior third baseman Jake Alu is third regular with a .300 or better average at .321. He has homered twice and driven in 12 runs. On the mound, BC turns to freshman right-hander Emmet Sheehan to make his first career start. Sheehan’s first career appearances lasted two batters at Louisville (3/9) before a lightning delay suspended play for the day. He struck out one batter and walked another.

Scouting the Crusaders…

Holy Cross has struggled out of the gate to the tune of a 1-14 record. The Crusader lineup is hitting .188 and has been outscored 124-38. Right fielder Ben Malgeri is the leading hitter with a .288/.377/.462 slash line and two home runs. Second baseman Peter Dudunakis has proven to be a deep threat in the lineup with three home runs on the young season. RHP Garret Keough has made two starts and three relief appearances for a team-leading 3.86 earned run average across 11.2 innings with eight strikeouts. Last season, Holy Cross was 18-27 after a 2017 Patriot League Tournament title and a spot in the Corvallis Regional, which saw the Crusaders knock out the Big Ten’s Nebraska in the region’s first elimination game.

All-Time vs. Holy Cross…

The all-time series, which on record dates back to 1966, is tied 34-34-1. Boston College trails in games played at home, 22-28-1, but owns the longest win streak in the rivalry at 12 games between 1993 and 2005.

Last Time They Met…

BC and Holy Cross last met on the diamond on March 22, 2015. The last three scheduled match-ups have been canceled due to poor weather. The Eagles scored four early runs and staved off a late Crusader comeback in the eighth for a 4-2 win at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass. in 2015. Donovan Casey led the BC hitters with a 3-for-4 day, while Chris Shaw picked up a two-run double in the third. Eric Stone got the win in a three-inning start.

Home Openers…

Boston College fell to Northeastern, 7-4 in 18 innings, in the first game ever played at the Harrington Athletics Village on March 20, 2018. That loss dropped the Eagles to 20-13 in home openers on record dating back to 1986. In 2015, BC defeated NC State, 3-1, in its home opener, which was played in Northborough. BC also defeated Wake Forest in its home opener in 2014, but the game was played at Northeastern. The last true home-opening win was 7-4 over Connecticut in 2013 at Shea Field. 4-4 under Gambino. Prior to the opening of the Harrington Athletics Village, BC played six its last 21 home openers away from its own home ballpark.

Year-to-Year Comparison…

Boston College is two games better through 14 games than its 6-8 record to start 2018. The Eagles’ scoring is up nearly a run per game by comparison from 6.1 to 6.9. Home runs are up from 0.29 (overall in 2018) to 0.78 this season. Sal Frelick hit his team-leading third home run at Louisville (3/8) and Jake Alu followed with his second; the 11th of the year for BC. Last season, the Eagles’ 11th home run came in game 24.

Up Next…

The Eagles jump back into ACC play at Wake Forest for three beginning Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m.

-BC-