PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle baseball team will begin its Atlantic 10 slate on Friday, when it hosts Fordham in the first of a three-game series.

Fordham Rams (10-8) at La Salle Explorers (4-12)
Friday, March 21, 2013 | 3 PM | Hank DeVincent Field
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Fordham Rams (10-8) at La Salle Explorers (4-12)
Friday, March 21, 2013 | 3 PM | Hank DeVincent Field
Live Statistics | Sign up for Text Alerts
Live Tweets @ExplorerGameDay

Fordham Rams (10-8) at La Salle Explorers (4-12)
Friday, March 21, 2013 | 3 PM | Hank DeVincent Field
Live Statistics | Sign up for Text Alerts
Live Tweets @ExplorerGameDay

Probable Starters
G1: LHP Ryan Donohue (0-1, 6.84 ERA) vs. RHP Joseph Charest (1-2, 4.58 ERA)
G2: RHP Shane Hollman (0-3, 8.76 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Pike (1-2, 6.95 ERA)
G3: LHP Shawn O'Neill (1-2, 7.02 ERA) vs. RHP Joseph Serrapica (2-0, 2.55 ERA)

Last Time Out
The Explorers took two of three last weekend, knocking off Wagner 8-7 on Friday and splitting (L, 6-1; W, 7-0) with Chicago State on Sunday. Senior Dan Klem highlighted the weekend for the Blue and Gold offensively, going 5-for-10 with five RBI and four runs scored. Junior Shawn O'Neill tossed a complete game one-hitter vs. the Cougars on Sunday, earning his first career victory as an Explorer behind the 10-strikeout effort. O'Neill was named A-10 Pitcher of the Week for his performance.

Scouting the Explorers
Klem is 14-for-29 (.483) over his last has last eight games, seven of which he's hit safely. Sophomore Kevin Baron is second on the club in hitting (.368) and leads the squad in runs (9), hits (21), and on-base percentage (.463). Klem and Baron have formed a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of La Salle's lineup, accounting for 28 of the Explorer's 68 runs scored on the season (41%). Sophomore Kevin Conroy (.340 BA) leads the team in RBI (9) and slugging percentage (.447).

Sophomore Justin Korenblatt (.328 BA) has hit safely in four straight games and has accounted for 24 total bases on the season, most on the team. Freshman Joey Ravert is 10 for his last 19, upping his average to .311. He has driven in five runs in his last five games. After starting the season 7-for-33 (.206), senior George Smith, Jr. is eight for his last 29 (.276), and has recorded three multi-hit games in that span.

As a team, the Explorers eighth in the A-10 in batting average (.263) and fifth in team fielding percentage (.962).

Senior Pat Christensen has anchored La Salle's pitching staff this season, earning two wins and one save in the Explorer's four victories. Christensen threw 2.1 scoreless innings and picked up four strikeouts in Friday's 8-7 defeat of Wagner. The senior has struck out 19 hitters in 14.2 innings (11.7 K/9). Sophomore Adam Cherry's ERA remains perfect through six appearances (7.1 IP) and is one of only seven A-10 pitchers not to have an earned run on their record this year.

Senior Ryan Donohue (0-1, 6.84 ERA) has started on the bump in three of La Salle's four wins. Sophomore Shane Hollman (0-3, 8.76 ERA) has fanned 16 hitters in 12.1 innings (11.7 K/9). Junior Shawn O'Neill (1-2, 7.02 ERA) sports a staff-best .190 batting average against clip.

The La Salle pitching staff ranks last in the A-10 in ERA (7.54) and ranks eighth in strikeouts (104).

Scouting the Rams
Fordham has lost two of three coming in, but put a five game winning streak together earlier this season. As a team, the Rams enter the weekend slashing .246/.358/.324 and have scored 75 runs in 18 games (4.2/game). Its pitching staff has the conference's fourth-best ERA (3.62) and has struck out 122 batters in 144.0 innings (7.6 K/9).

The Rams lineup has been paced by freshman outfielder Ryan McNally, who is hitting .361 with a club-high .477 on-base percentage. Freshman catcher Charles Galiano has started all 18 games this year and comes in hitting .327 with a team-best .577 slugging percentage. Junior outfielder Tim Swatek has been a spark on the bases, totaling six steals in eight attempts along with a .308 batting average.

Fordham will send senior righty Joseph Charest, junior righty Chris Pike, and freshman righty Joseph Serrapica to the hill on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. The three have combined for a 4-4 record on the season.

Up Next
La Salle will host Villanova on Tuesday at 3 PM and Richmond in a three game series beginning Thursday at 3 PM.