Baseball | April 15, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle University baseball team will take on Philadelphia Big 5 rivals Penn and Saint Joseph's this week. The Explorers will host Penn on Tuesday before playing a three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series at Saint Joe's starting Thursday.
 
La Salle (18-18) vs. Penn (19-10)

• Tuesday – 3 p.m. – Hank DeVincent Field

La Salle (1-8 A-10) at Saint Joseph's (5-4 A-10)

• Game 1: Thursday – 3 p.m. – Smithson Field
• Game 2: Friday – 1 p.m. – Smithson Field
• Game 3: Saturday – 12 p.m. – Smithson Field

HOME SUCCESS CONTINUES FOR EXPLORERS

• La Salle went 3-1 over four games at Hank Devincent Field last week.
• The Explorers put up 16 hits in a 13-4 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday.
• On Saturday, La Salle swept Quinnipiac in a home doubleheader. The Explorers exploded for 18 hits, including home runs by Ben Faso, Tatem Levins, Jack Cucinotta and Peyton Sorrels, in an 18-8 win in game one. Sophomore left-hander Colin Scanlon then allowed just one unearned run and five hits over five innings of work before handing the ball to senior Connor Hinchliffe, who closed out a 2-1 victory.
• Quinnipiac snapped the three-game win streak with a 12-0 win on Sunday in the series finale.
• La Salle enters the week 11-7 at home, significantly better than a season ago when the Explorers went 6-13 at Hank DeVincent Field.

HINCHLIFFE RECORDS NINTH SAVE

• Connor Hinchliffe picked up his ninth save of the season on Saturday, moving him into sixth in the nation in saves.
• His nine saves are tied for the fourth most in single season program history. He is only four away from the school record of 13 set by MLB draftee Pat Christensen ('13).
• Hinchliffe was recognized nationally last week as one of 40 players named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. The award is given to the top amateur player in the country.

SCOUTING PENN

• After starting 0-3, Penn has come on strong and enters Tuesday's game at 19-10 overall and 8-4 in the Ivy League.
• The Quakers have been impressive with an 11-4 road record, including a four-game sweep of Dartmouth in their last road trip.
• Penn took the first two games from Princeton this weekend before dropping the finale, 7-2.
• Matt O'Neil is hitting .396 with a .528 on-base percentage, 31 runs and 30 RBIs. Penn is batting .342 as a team, and Craig Larsen is hitting .380 with six homers and a team-high 41 RBIs.
• On the mound, the Quakers own a 4.48 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP while holding opponents to a .252 batting average.

SCOUTING SAINT JOE'S

• The Hawks begin the week at 12-18 overall and 5-4 in the Atlantic 10.
• Saint Joe's will play at Delaware on Tuesday before taking on the Explorers.
• The Hawks have lost six straight games, with losses to Penn, Lehigh, Villanova and a sweep at Fordham.
• Brendan Hueth is tops of the team with a .319 average and 28 runs scored. Nate Thomas (.318), Dominic Cuoci (.303) and James McConnon (.300) are all hitting .300 or better as well.
• Cole Stetzar (1-2) leads the Hawks on the mound with a 3.78 ERA. Jordan DiValerio (3-3, 4.32 ERA) and Matt Kennedy (3-2, 5.64 ERA) have been efficient pieces of the rotation as well. As a team, Saint Joe's has an ERA of 5.75.