This week, in addition to the honor of Gotham Baseball Magazine's College "Beast" of the Week, we're introducing a DII / DIII Player of the Week Honor.
Let's get into this week's wrap-up! Speaking of the "Beast", this week's winner is...
GBM College Beast of the Week: James Hayes (Rider) - Also garnering MAAC Player of the Week honors, Hayes hit .579 (11-for-19) with six steals, while picking up two saves and playing four positions during the week. Hayes started consecutive games at second base, rightfield and centerfield, and picked up saves in the games as well. Batting .345 for the season, Hayes has stolen 18 bases in 22 attempts while batting leadoff for the Broncs. A well-rounded performance.
Division II/III Player of the Week : Derek Gianakas (Kean) - Anytime someone drives in an astounding 15 runs in a week, they need to be honored. The New Jersey Athletic Conference and New Jersey College Baseball Writers agreed, also naming him their player of the week. Gianakas was 12-for-22 for the week, hitting in all six games, while
driving in 10 runs in the final three NJAC games of the week, and 15
for the week. He also scored 13 runs during the week, and has a
16-game hit streak. He is batting .385 on the season, with 8 home runs
and 30 RBI for the Cougars.
Pitcher of the Week: Tom Koehler (Stony Brook) - The America East Pitcher of the Week, Koehler’s gem against NY Tech, a complete game seven hitter in which he struck out 11 and allowed a run, edges out teammate Gary Novakowski (7-inning complete game) for top honors this week.
Freshman of the Week: Darren Matthews (Rutgers) - The freshman first baseman is proving to everyone why he was good enough to move Tom Edwards to third base. Matthews had three multi-hit games, as he went 7-for-13, with six runs scored and 10 RBI during the week. He is hitting .310 for the season, with four home runs and 26 RBI, while stealing three bases in three attempts.
Team of the Week: Montclair State University - Five wins without a loss, including an 8-1 opening win over defending National Champions Kean, gets the nod. The Red Hawks pitching staff took turns coming up big, as MSU went 4-0
for the week, holding opponents to seven runs in four games. Kevin
Dalton threw 8 innings of shutout ball against Kean, fanning five and
allowing seven hits. Mike Vitale (6 IP , 2 R, 1ER) and Tim Stringer
(5.0, 1H, 1ER) combined to sweep Rutgers-Camden (12-2, 8-1).
Division I Recap Presented By
Army (3-1, 5-12, 1-3 Patriot) - Andy Ernesto’s two run triple in the 13th inning of Saturday’s nightcap prevented last week from being a horrible week for Army Baseball. By splitting Saturday’s doubleheader against Patriot League foe Bucknell, the Cadets picked up their lone win of the week, and avoided an 0-4 start in Patriot League play.
After dropping a 5-2 decision mid-week to Quinnipiac mid-week, the Black Knights split Saturday’s doubleheader, losing the opener 10-5, and dropping both games Sunday, 8-5, 3-1. Freshman shortstop Clint Moore drove in five runs with three hits in Saturday’s victory, while fellow freshman Joey Henshaw (6 ip, 2 h, 1 er, 5k) was the hardluck loser in the nightcap Sunday.
Columbia (4-1, 7-15, 3-1 Ivy) - A good week for the Lions, who won three of four in a pair of Ivy series , and four of five overall. After dropping a 10-5 decision to St. John’s, Columbia swept a doubleheader Saturday with Brown, and split with Brown on Sunday.
Fairfield (1-3, 5-16, 3-3 MAAC) - It was a week of close losses for the Stags, dropping a 3-1 pitcher’s duel to Central Connecticut mid-week, and a heart-breaking 3-2 decision to Niagara on Saturday. Ryan Calabrese was the hard luck loser Saturday, allowing only two earned runs in the complete game loss. The Stags won the opener of the series, 13-3, and lost the rubber match, 7-1, to finish with a 1-3 week.
Fairleigh Dickinson (2-3, 4-17, 0-0 NEC) - The Knights split a tight series with Binghamton over the weekend, splitting a pair of 4-3 decisions on Saturday, while losing 6-3 and winning 3-2 on Sunday. A loss to Manhattan, 8-1, on Wednesday, opened the week.
Fordham (2-3, 13-11. 2-4 A-10) - After splitting non-conference contests with Marist (15-4 loss) and Stony Brook (10-8 win), the Rams traveled to Saint Louis, losing two of three in A-10 conference play. The Rams usually strong pitching had a rough week, as All Gotham selection Tom Davis took the loss in a 10-8 loss in the series opener. The Rams were outscored 48- 31 in five games. All Gotham second baseman Eric Reese (7-for-17, 6 RBI) and Bobby DiNardo (7-for-21) led the Rams offense.
Hofstra (2-4, 8-19, 0-12 Colonial) - Matt Kougasian drove in four runs as The Pride exploded with 13 hits in a 12-3 win over Coppin State, Wednesday, as Hofstra scored 10 runs in the first three innings. The rest of the week was not so positive, as the Flying Dutchmen split with Siena, winning 6-3 and losing 9-1, and were swept by James Madison, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5.
Iona (0-4, 1-19, 1-5 MAAC) - Silent bats continue to haunt the Gaels, as they were outscored, 36-11 in four games over the week, including dropping a three game MAAC series to Canisius, 5-1, 8-1, and 13-6.
Long Island University (2-0, 8-12, 0-0 NEC) - James Jones picked up a win, going five innings allowing three runs and striking out seven in the Blackbirds 7-5 win over Manhattan, adding two hits and scoring two runs to aid his cause. Against Maryland – Eastern Shore, Jones had another two hit game, as LIU cruised to a 11-0 win.
Jones could do nothing about the weather, as the Blackbirds traveled to Fort Wayne to play Indiana University-Purdue, and had all three games cancelled due to weather.
Manhattan (3-0, 9-10-1) - Never did non-conference wins ever bring so much relief. A year after the Jaspers could not defeat LeMoyne at the end of the regular season, or in the MAAC Tournament, they swept a series from the Dolphins in non-conference play, by 4-1, 4-2 scores. LeMoyne, the MAAC champions a season ago, left the conference at the end of last season to play as an independent.
Tom Costigan, an All Gotham selection, rounded back into form after a slow start to the season, holding the Dolphins to one run on four hits. Dan Forman, allowed two runs in seven innings in the nightcap. The Jaspers defeated FDU, 8-1, to start the week.
Marist (2-3, 6-12, 2-4 MAAC) - Stephen Peterson held Rider to five hits and one run in pitching a complete game and salvaging the finale of the Red Foxes MAAC series, 5-1. Marist opened the week with a 15-4 shellacking of Fordham in out-of-confernce play, as Rich Curylo and Ryan Gauck each drove in three runs.
Rhode Island escaped with a 1-0 win over the Red Foxes in their other non-conference game of the week, as Sean McGowin picked up the loss, despite allowing only five hits in 7.1 innings.
Monmouth (4-0, 7-8) - If NJ Tech never sees Nick Pulsonettti again, their pitching staff will not mind. After losing a week to the weather, the Hawks rolled to a 4-0 week, edging Temple 2-1 behind Kyle Breese’s 7.1 inning performance, allowing just one run in picking up the win. Then Pulsonetti went to work, going 7-for-13 with nine RBI as the Hawks defeated the Highlanders, 10-3, 8-4 and 26-5.
New Jersey Tech (0-5, 2-19) - An upgrade in schedule has meant a downgrade in record, as the Highlanders suffered through a tough week, dropping five games by a combined score of 63-16. Seton Hall started the suffering sweeping the Highlanders 6-1 and 13-3 in a home-and-home series, while Monmouth won by 10-3, 8-4 and 26-5 scores.
NY Tech (1-4, 5-8) - After opening the week with a 13-3 victory over a struggling Iona team, the Bears dropped four games to Stony Brook. Tech’s inability to generate runs early in the series hurt, as they dropped 3-1 and 7-1 decisions in the first two games of the series. The final two games saw the bats pick up, but the Bears pitching weakened, losing 10-7 and 6-4.
Princeton (3-2, 10-11, 2-2 Ivy) - Four pitchers combined to shut out Rutgers, 1-0, Wednesday, and Micah Kaplan’s game-winning single in the nightcap Sunday turned out to be the highlights of a topsy-turvy week for the Tigers. Princeton opened Ivy League play losing both ends of a doubleheader to Dartmouth on Saturday. Sunday, the Tigers bounced back, led by Kaplan’s hit, to sweep Harvard.
Quinnipiac (2-2, 5-10, 0-0 NEC) - A victory at Army is always a good way to start the week, as Tyler Brett limited Army to one run on five hits in six innings to pick up the win. A loss Dartmouth 7-5, and a split with intra-state rival Hartford, winning the opener 5-4, while losing the nightcap, 6-4, closed the week.
Rider (3-2, 11-10, 3-3 MAAC) - Led by the pitching and hitting of James Hayes, the Broncs finished the week over .500. After a tough 4-3 loss to Rutgers, Rider defeated St. Joseph’s 8-5, as Hayes had three hits and a save. The Broncs won the first two games of their series against Marist, a 6-5 win by Jimmer Kennedy, as Rider scored four runs in their final at bat, after giving up three in the top half. Hayes picked up his fifth save of the season in Rider’s 4-1 win in the second game of the series, as Mike Petrowski went 8.1 innings, allowing 10 hits in picking up the win.
Rutgers (3-2, 8-14, 2-4 Big East) - A bounce back week for the Scarlet Knights, as Rutgers finished with a winning record for the week, and won two of three from West Virginia in Big East play. Tony Wargo allowed just one run in seven innings to Princeton, but the Tigers shut down the Scarlet Knights for a 1-0 loss. The week opened with a win over Rider, 4-3, and the weekend saw Rutgers win the first two, 8-4, 8-2, before losing the finale, 8-7.
Donny Callahan swung a hot bat for the Scarlet Knights against the Mountaineers, rapping seven hits in 14 at bats, while scoring six runs. Darren Matthews continued his hot hitting all week, driving in seven of his 10 RBI against WVU.
Sacred Heart (0-3, 1-19, 0-0 NEC) - The Pioneers’ miserable season continued, losing to Massachusetts 15-3 and dropping a pair to in-state rival Hartford, 4-3, 3-2.
Saint Peter’s (3-2, 11-10. 4-2 MAAC) - Kevin Kallert continues to show why he is St. Peter’s most indispensable player, winning a 12-4 decision against Maryland- Eastern Shore in a non-conference match-up, then driving in two runs in the opener of a MAAC series with conference favorite Siena. The Peacocks, who hosted the Saints due to snow at Siena, were inhospitable, winning two of three.
The Peacock offense was rolling on all cylinders throughout the week, scoring 49 runs in five contests.
Seton Hall (3-2, 13-12, 5-4 Big East) - The Pirates continue to survive in the Big East, winning one of three from St. John’s. Chris Affinito drove in three runs their 13-3 win over NJ Tech, while Chris McGlynn threw six solid innings, allowing three hits and one run in their 6-1 win the opener against the Highlanders.
Greg Miller had five hits in the St. John’s series, picking up the win in the series finale, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings of a 6-2 win.
Stony Brook (4-1 10-10, 0-0 America East) - A 10-8 loss to Fordham was the only blemish on the Seawolves week, as they swept New York Tech, as Tom Koehler and Gary Novakowski each pitched complete game gems, allowing a run.
St. John’s (4-0, 16-4, 5-1 Big East) - Freshman shortstop Greg Hopkins had seven hits in 16 at bats as the Red Storm went 3-1 on the week. After a 10-5 victory over Columbia to open the week, the Red Storm won two of three against Big East foe Seton Hall.
Wagner (2-3, 7-11, 0-0 NEC) - The Seahawks dropped a 5-4 decision to Winthrop on Monday to start the week, and split with Maine to finish the week 2-3. Andrew Huebner picked up saves in both games, giving him three on the season.
DII & DIII Update Presented By
Felician (2-3, 6-8) - A split week for the Falcons, as they edged Queens, 9-8 in 8 innings (called by darkness) before losing two of three to Caldwell in CAAC play. The Falcons, lost on the road 7-1 to open the series, then split a home doubleheader, winning 7-4 in the opener, and losing 9-0 in the nightcap.
Kean (5-1, 18-5, 3-1 NJAC) - The defending National Champions opened with a convincing wins over Drew, 18-4 and Farmingdale (8-1), before dropping their NJAC opener to Montclair State, 8-1. However, behind the hot bat of Derek Gianakas, the Cougars bounced back, ripping Rutgers-Newark, 13-1, and sweeping Rowan, 10-4, 9-4.
New Jersey City University (3-3, 8-11, 1-3) - The Gothic Knights started the week strong, sweeping the College of Mt. St. Vincent, 3-2, 13-6, as shortstop Jose Fulgencio scored the winning run in game 1, and drove in two during game two. A pair of NJAC losses to William Paterson, 11-4, and Rutgers-Newark, 18-7, saw Fulgencio go 1-for-8, and the Gothic Knights offense fell short.
The split of their doubleheader with Richard Stockton saw NJCU get their first conference win of the season, as Fulgencio had five hits, five runs scored and five RBI on the day.
Pace (5-1, 15-8, 5-0 NE-10) - The Setters swept a Northeast-10 conference weekend series, defeating Southern New Hampshire, 21-3, 10-1, 10-1, improving to 5-0 in the conference. Pace opened with a 7-0 win over Assumption, but was upended the next day, by Dominican, 7-5, before winning the back half of the NE-10 home and home, 4-1 on Thursday.
Jack Cawley was 10-for-22 with 8 RBI for the Setters.
Ramapo (1-3, 10-9, 0-3 NJAC) - A win over Western Connecticut State (18-7) was the highlight of the week, as the Roadrunners were swept in three NJAC contests, dropping a doubleheader to William Paterson 10-8, and 13-8 on Saturday, and Richard Stockton 12-2 on Sunday.
Rutgers-Newark (2-3, 8-11, 1-3 NJAC) - Freshman shortstop Patrck Reitemeyer hit .409, picking up a hit in each of five games while driving in six runs and scoring three times. He opened the 2-3 week by going four for five with four RBI and a triple in a 12-4 win over FDU-Florham. In an 18-7 win in the Raiders’ NJAC opener at New Jersey City, the Kearny resident went two for four with two RBI and two runs.
Stevens Institute of Technology (0-4, 4-14) - The Ducks misfortunes continued, as they suffered through a four-game sweep at the hands of Ithaca. The Ducks were held to four runs in the four games, allowing 33.
The College of New Jersey (5-0, 15-2, 4-0 NJAC) - The Lions sit atop the NJAC with a 4-0 conference record, and posted a 5-0 record on the week. TCNJ, ranked 6th in Division III coming into the week, are batting .331 as a team and average 9.0 runs game, somewhat surprising, since they lost several big bats to graduation.
Adam Tussey (.459, 0,17), Vince Mazzaccaro (.406, 4, 27), Rich Gawlak (.362, 0, 27) have stepped up with increased playing time, while All Gotham shortstop Jeff Toth is living up to expectations, batting .355 with three home runs and 18 RBI. Mike Oliver (3-0) and Bob Buskett (3-0, 2.25) pace a veteran staff that gives up just a shade over five runs per game.
A sweep of Rutgers-Newark on Saturday by 15-12, 14-6 scores catapulted the Lions to the top of the NJAC. On Friday, Buskett picked up his third win in a 5-2 win over Rowan, and started the week with a 12-11 victory over Gwynedd Mercy, and a 5-1 over Rutgers-Camden in their NJAC opener.
William Paterson (5-1, 12-6, 3-0 NJAC) - Mike Guadango went 14-for-22 with 12 runs scored and 10 RBI as the Pioneers went 5-1 for the week (losing to Manhattanville 12-10 on Tuesday) as WPU jumped into second place in the NJAC with a 3-0 conference record. New coach Mike Lautherhahn has the team slugging away like the Pioneers of the mid-1980’s, scoring in double figure in every game of the week.
WPU beat up on SUNY Oneonta, 17-0, and SUNY Old Westbury, 12-7 before starting conference play. An 11-4 over New Jersey City got the ball rolling, followed by a sweep at Ramapo, 10-8, 13-9.
Mike Elia 11-for-26, with five runs scored and eight RBI and Vin Joyce, 9-for-12 with 12 RBI join with Guadango to make a most potent middle of the order for Lautherhahn.
Team of the Week: Montclair State University
defending National Champions Kean, gets the nod. The Red Hawks pitching staff took turns coming up big, as MSU went 4-0
for the week, holding opponents to seven runs in four games. Kevin
Dalton threw 8 innings of shutout ball against Kean, fanning five and
allowing seven hits. Mike Vitale (6 IP , 2 R, 1ER) and Tim Stringer
(5.0, 1H, 1ER) combined to sweep Rutgers-Camden (12-2, 8-1).
