PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle baseball team will head down to North Carolina for a second consecutive weekend, this time to Raleigh, for a three-game series at North Carolina State. The Explorers will square off against Wagner, Villanova, and host NC State.

Opponents and game times are still up in the air due to expected inclement weather. 

Scouting the Explorers
La Salle split a pair in its opening weekend, knocking off Toledo 8-7 behind a four run ninth before dropping a 9-5 decision to Wright State. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Baron was named Atlantic 10 and Big 5 Player of the Week for his 5-for-7 showing over the weekend which included a career-high four hits vs. Wright State.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Welling notched a 4-for-7 mark on opening weekend and Kevin Conroy posted a 3-for-7 line while driving in a team-high three RBI. Freshman Brandon Day made the most of his first career start, poking three hits against Wright State.

Freshman Austin Clark threw four innings of two-run ball (one ER) in his first collegiate start, while striking out three and walking three. Sophomore Alec Baum earned his first career win vs. Toledo after registering three scoreless innings.

Scouting the Seahawks
Wagner, picked to finish sixth in the Northeast Conference this season, will debut against the Explorers on Friday. The Seahawks were 22-33 a year ago, and return five of its top seven hitters from last season.

Junior outfielder Ian Miller posted a .312 average last season as well as a team-high 34 stolen bases (34-41). Sophomore infielder Nick Dini racked up 58 hits (.293 BA) and a team-high five triples. Senior outfielders Nick Alfano and Jayson Keel hit .276 and .273, respectively. 

Scouting the Wildcats
Villanova was picked to finish 11^th in BIG EAST' standings in the preseason coaches' poll. The Wildcats dropped their only game of the young season last weekend, a 7-6 setback to Monmouth.

Senior shortstop Tyler Sciacca was a preseason All-BIG EAST choice after hitting .359 last season. Junior starting pitcher Pat Young led the Wildcats in five different categories a year ago and will anchor Villanova's staff. In addition to Sciacca, the Wildcats return its entire starting infield including Paul Rambaud, Steve Schrenk, and Connor Jones.

Scouting the Wolfpack
NC State is currently ranked 16^th in the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll after splitting a pair on opening weekend vs. Appalachian State. The Wolfpack are led by sophomore shortstop Trea Turner and sophomore pitcher Carlos Rodon, both consensus first-team All-Americans. Turner hit .336 as a freshman and stole 57 bases while Rodon struck out 135 hitters in 114.6 innings in his freshman campaign.

Sophomore outfielders Jake Fincher (.300/.353/.405 in 2012) Brett Austin (.284/.350/.362) are two of the top returners in a Wolfpack lineup considered one of the ACC's most potent.