PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle baseball team will host the VCU Rams this weekend in Atlantic 10 action. The Explorers enter the series third in the A-10 standings while the Rams come in 10^th. Friday afternoon's game will be streamed on GoExplorers.tv (link provided below).

VCU Rams (20-19, 5-7 A-10) at La Salle Explorers (18-20, 11-4 A-10)
Friday, April 26, 2013 | 3 PM | Live Video | Live Statistics
Saturday, April 27, 2013 | 1 PM | Live Statistics
Sunday, April 28, 2013 | 12 PM | Live Statistics
Live Tweets @ExplorerGameDay | Sign up for Text Alerts

Probable Starters
G1: LHP Ryan Donohue (2-3, 6.28 ERA) vs. LHP Heath Dwyer (5-4, 3.18 ERA)
G2: LHP Shawn O'Neill (3-4, 7.15 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Farrar (4-4, 3.73 ERA)
G3: TBA vs. TBA

Explorer Notes

• After starting 2-11, the Explorers have posted a 16-9 record since returning from their spring break trip.
• La Salle is 11-5 at home this season and has won five of its last six at DeVincent Field.
• With its 11-4 conference record, La Salle is tied with Saint Louis for the most wins in the A-10 while owning the conference's third-best winning percentage (.733).
• The Explorers rank seventh in the A-10 in batting average (.266), 15^th in ERA (5.86), and fifth in fielding percentage (.969).
• As a team, the Blue and Gold have been swinging hot sticks of late, raising the team batting average from .242 to .266 over the last 12 games. In that span, La Salle has gone 9-3 with a .314 team batting average. They have pushed across 90 runs (7.5/game) while tallying a .393 on base percentage and .430 slugging percentage. In those 12 games, the Explorers have tallied 132 hits (11/game) and have notched double digits in hits on eight occasions.
• Senior Pat Christensen (5-1, 8 saves) has recorded a win or save in 13 of La Salle's 18 wins this season. In relief, Christensen has given up two earned runs in 29.1 innings pitched (0.61 ERA) while striking out 34 hitters and walking only five. His numbers are similarly outstanding in conference play, tallying a 0.95 ERA while striking out 23 hitters in 19 innings of work. His eight saves this season are tied for the most in the A-10 while his 41 career saves are an all-time program and conference high while ranking in a four-way tie for eighth-most in NCAA Division I history. Christensen was named Big 5 Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday, the third time he has been recognized by the organization this season.
• Sophomore Mark Williams leads the Explorers in five offensive categories and ranks ninth in the conference in batting average (.346) and fourth in slugging percentage (.519).
• Freshman Joey Ravert was named Big 5 Player of the Week and Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week on April 15 and is batting .474 (18-38) over his last ten games. In that span, he has posted a .524 on base percentage and .579 slugging percentage.
• Sophomore Kevin Baron is tied for the club lead in runs (23), while leading in hits (45). His 14 multi-hit games this year are tied for the most on the squad.
• Sophomore Justin Korenblatt leads La Salle in total bases (59). His mark of four triples on the year is tied for second-most in the conference. Korenblatt is riding a nine-game hitting streak, the current high mark on the club.
• Senior Dan Klem went 8-for-19 last week including a five hit, three double showing in La Salle's 17-5 win last Friday over UMass. The Explorers are 17-11 this season when Klem bats in the leadoff spot. Klem added two hits against the Nittany Lions on Tuesday, giving him his 14^th multi-hit game of the year.
• Sophomore Ryan Welling clubbed three doubles and five RBI in La Salle's 9-7 comeback victory last Saturday over UMass. Welling maintains a team-high in homers with three.
• Sophomore Kevin Conroy's 20 RBI are second-most on the team while his six multiple RBI games are most on the squad.
• Freshman Collin McGowan went 5-for-10 in the Explorers' weekend sweep over the Minutemen. He raised his batting average from .207 to .236 with his weekend showing.
• Freshman Austin Clark has thrown 5.2 unblemished innings (three appearances) in conference play this season. He has struck out four hitters in that span while allowing a .200 batting average against clip.
• Sophomore Shane Hollman is 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his A-10 starts this year, striking out 13 hitters in 20.2 innings of work. He has walked only six while limiting opposing hitters to a .203 clip.

Ram Notes

• VCU has won four of its last five, most recently knocking off Old Dominion, 5-4, on Tuesday evening. Last weekend, the Rams took two of three from Dayton to improve their record to 5-7 in A-10 play.
• As a team, VCU ranks sixth in the A-10 in batting average (.270), fourth in ERA (3.61), and first in fielding percentage (978).
• Junior Joey Cujas leads the Rams in batting average (.333), hits (53), doubles (12), RBI (31), and slugging percentage (.428). His batting average is 13^th-best in the conference.
• Junior Bill Cullen leads the squad in runs (33), good for second-most in the A-10. Cullen was a preseason NCBWA and Louisville Slugger All-American.
• Sophomore Vimael Machin leads the club in home runs (4) and ranks second in walks (19).
• Sophomore closer Matt Lees sports the A-10's best ERA (1.52) with eight saves, tied for the most in the league. Lees has struck out 33 hitters in 41.1 innings.
• Sophomore Heath Dwyer (Friday's probable starter) has fanned 59 hitters in 73.2 innings while walking only 15. He owns a 5-4 record with a 3.18 ERA and a .256 batting average against clip.
• Senior Ryan Farrar (Saturday's probable starter) is 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA on the year. He has sat down 48 batters and walked 24 in 62.2 innings.

Up Next
The Blue and Gold will play at Delaware on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. The Explorers will return home on Sunday vs. Delaware at 1 p.m. Senior day festivities are expected to begin at 12:40 p.m.