Feb. 25, 2011
EASTON, Pa. - Though signs of spring are beginning to show on College Hill, the Lafayette baseball team will head south for warmer weather to start the 2011 season this weekend. The Leopards trek to Davidson, N.C. to meet the Ohio University Bobcats and the host Davidson College Wildcats.
Action begins on Saturday, Feb. 26 with a 10 a.m. game against Ohio. The Bobcats (0-4) were swept at Furman to open the season last weekend and will play a doubleheader on Feb. 25 consisting of games against Lehigh and Davidson. The Leopards will send senior right-hander Zach Fritz to the mound to combat a Bobcats' lineup that batted .343 with 10 extra-base hits in four games against the Paladins. Fritz was 2-7 in 10 starts with an 8.80 earned-run average last season. He led Lafayette in innings pitched (46.0) and strikeouts (33) in 2010.
Ohio left-hander Matt Robin will also take the hill on Saturday morning. Robin worked 4.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and six walks in his first outing for the season. He also struck out three batters and hit a batter while taking the loss against Furman on Feb. 20.
The Leopards start a two-game series with host Davidson on Saturday afternoon with senior southpaw Corey Shea battling the Wildcats. Shea worked 45.2 innings in 2010, posting a 4-2 record in nine starts with an 8.47 earned-run average. Davidson (2-3), which will have played a sixth game before meeting Lafayette, is currently batting .269 with a .375 slugging percentage and .367 on-base percentage.
The ball will be in the right hand of Ian Horkley for the Wildcats. Horkley is 0-1 on the season, having allowing three runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings in a loss to Army on Feb. 19. He walked a batter, struck out six and uncorked a wild pitch against the Black Knights.
It will be a battle of junior right-handers in Sunday's finale as the Leopards give the ball to John Gentile and Davidson starts Brian Russell. Gentile made 13 appearances, including six starts, for Lafayette last season. He was 1-3 with an 8.87 earned-run average in 44.2 innings of work. Russell recorded a no-decision in his first outing of the season. He allowed three hits and no earned runs over the first six innings of an eventual Wildcats' victory over Radford on Feb. 20. Russell recorded nine strikeouts and three walks.
The Lafayette lineup for this weekend's slate will be buoyed by several familiar faces. 2010 First Team All-Patriot League designated hitter Matt Fenster is back for his senior campaign. The right-handed slugger, who will see time at third base as well as designated hitter, led the Leopards in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.549) and on-base percentage (.434) last season. He drove in 22 runs and smacked 13 extra-base hits. Senior catcher A.J. Miller led the team with six home runs in 2010 and will resume his duties behind the plate this year.
A pair of .300 hitters returns to the diamond in junior shortstop Brian Davila and sophomore Scott Kelleher, who can play both corners of the infield. Second baseman Kevin Casey and first baseman Brad Hopek are also expected to see significant at-bats in their sophomore seasons on College Hill.
Joining the fray around the horn for Lafayette are freshmen Eric Anderson from Hebron, Conn. and Jonathan Ho from Hopkinton, Mass. Junior Kevin McCarville, sophomore Alex Osuchowski and freshman Chris Bennert will spell Miller at catcher.
Miller, Shea and senior outfielder Rob Froio are the Leopards' captains this season. Froio batted .281 with 20 runs batted in and a team-best 19 stolen bases (21 attempts) in 2010.
Flanking Froio's solid centerfield are junior left fielder Bobby Fargnoli and senior right fielder Alex Bechta. Fargnoli had 64 at-bats as a sophomore, batting .266 with 12 runs batted in, while Bechta hit .245 with 13 RBI in 94 at-bats last season. Sophomore Andrew Ruck saw just one at-bat as a freshman but will factor as an outfield and designated hitter in 2011. Junior Peter Ferrara and freshman Andrew Santomauro will also be in the mix as outfielders.
Fritz and Shea are the leaders of a pitching staff that consists of 10 right-handers and six left-handers. Junior right-hander Jeff Snell (3-1, 4.19 ERA, five saves) and junior southpaw Jack Rems (2-2, 2.83 ERA) will anchor the Lafayette bullpen.
In total, the Leopards return 20 letterwinners - including six starting position players and four starting pitchers - from a young team that went 15-30 overall and 7-13 in the Patriot League in 2010. The diamond at Kamine Stadium sees its first action on March 2 with a visit from La Salle, and Patriot League play starts with back-to-back doubleheaders at Bucknell on April 2 and 3.
