LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Manhattan (17-32; 8-13 MAAC) concludes regular season play with a three-game series at Iona (18-32; 9-12 MAAC), beginning with a single game on Thursday, May 14 at 3 p.m. before the teams conclude their series with a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, May 15.
Weekend Pitching Rotation
Game 1 - Fr. LHP Tom Cosgrove (1-4 - 34 K - 50.0 IP - 4.50 ERA)
Game 2 - So. LHP Joe Jacques (3-2 - 40 K - 41.0 IP - 3.51 ERA)
Game 3 - Sr. RHP Scott McClennan (4-7 - 52 K - 69.2 IP - 5.04 ERA)
Playoffs
The Jaspers are on the outside looking in entering the final weekend of the season, needing to sweep the series and have Marist be swept or end up in a five-way tie with Fairfield, Iona, Marist and Niagara ... a four-way tie with Iona, Marist and Niagara ... or any combination where Manhattan ends up tied with Fairfield and or Niagara as the Jaspers collected the series victory against both.
About The Gaels
Iona, like Manhattan, has aspirations of locking down the sixth and final playoff berth with their most likely path being winning one more game than Marist does against Saint Peter's. The Gaels ed by arguably the most dominating starting rotation in the MAAC. Junior RHP Mariano Rivera is 5-6 with a MAAC-leading 101 strikeouts over just 78.1 innings. Sophomore RHP Bill Maier is 3-5 with a 3.27 ERA over a MAAC-best 82.2 innings. Fifth-year senior LHP Eddie Macaluso rounds out the rotation and is 3-8 with 85 strikeouts over 76.1 innings.
Last Year Against Iona
The Gaels took two-of-three from Manhattan in Riverdale after having been swept in each of the previous four seasons.
Recent History
Prior to last year's match-up, the Jaspers had gone 20-1 against Iona since the start of the 2007 season.
Too Close To Call
While Manhattan is an impressive 10-2 against Iona since the start of the 2011 season, 11-of-12 match-ups have been decided by four runs or less, including nine by two runs or less - with six by just one run.
Streaking
The Jaspers have won eight-straight games and 11-of-12 in New Rochelle since the start of the 2007 season, losing just the 2009 series opener during that time.
Senior Day
Friday's doubleheader will mark the third-straight weekend that Manhattan has participated in a Senior Day doubleheader. In both cases, the road teams swept the DH with Rider ruining the Jaspers' Senior Day festivities before Manhattan returned the favor at NJIT.
Duffy Against Iona
Head Coach Jim Duffy is 7-2, all-time, against Iona as a head coach.
DYK??
Both Duffy and Iona skipper Pat Carey played Big East baseball at Seton Hall and Providence, respectively.
Last Weekend ...
Manhattan split a four-game set with NJIT thanks to a pair of stellar starts from sophomores LHP Joe Jacques and RHP Joey Rocchietti as the duo combined to allow just an unearned run over 10.0 innings of five-hit ball while seniors Chris Kalousdian, Joe McClennan, Vin Teixeira, junior Christian Santisteban and freshman Brendan Bisset all hit above .300 over the four games.
What A Difference A Day Makes
Last weekend, the Highlanders swept Saturday's doubleheader while outscoring the Jaspers 16-4 and hitting a blistering .457 with seven doubles and a home run. On Sunday, Manhattan turned the tide, outscoring NJIT 13-2 while limiting its hosts to a scant .164 average and just two doubles.
For Starters
The Jaspers have lost seven-straight series openers while being outscored 55-21 in the series lidlifters since besting Fairfield 9-5 in their MAAC-opener.
Double-Digit Fun
Manhattan scored 11 runs while rapping out a season-high matching 14 hits and have now scored in double-figures four times this season. The Jaspers are 4-0 this season when notching double-figures in runs and 10-1 during Duffy's tenure in Riverdale.
Changing Things Up
In Manhattan's 2-1 win over NJIT in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, the Jaspers were victorious for just the second time in 21 games when scoring two runs or less.
Pitching Like An Ace
Jacques has been outstanding since returning to the rotation three starts ago, going 2-1 during that time with a 1.06 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 17.0 innings of eight-hit ball while limiting opposing hitters to a .143 average. On the year, he is 3-2 with 40 strikeouts and a 3.51 ERA over 41.0 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .255 average.
Primetime Match-Up
Jacques and Rivera figure to give pitching aficionados one of the best shows in the MAAC this season in game two. Jacques is third during league play with a 1.69 ERA and 21 strikeouts over 21.1 innings while Rivera has a league-best 1.47 ERA with 59 strikeouts over 43.0 innings.
All Good Things Must Come To An End
Kalousdian saw his hitting streak come to an end at 20 this past weekend. The streak is the longest by a MAAC player this season and the 14th-best in the Division I ranks. During the 20-game sample, Kalousdian hit .482 (40-for-83) with 15 multi-hit games, 16 runs, 14 RBI, eight extra-base hits and seven steals. After seeing the streak snapped in Sunday's opener, he bounced back with a RBI single in the nightcap and has hit safely in 25-of-28 with 19 multi-hit games while batting .426 during that time.
Leading The Way
This season, Kalousdian is hitting a team-best .309 while ranking among the MAAC leaders with a team-best 59 hits (4th), 32 runs (t-9th) and 74 total bases (t-9th) to go along with 22 multi-hit games. Additionally during league play, he is third with a .393 average while rapping out a MAAC-high matching 33 hits.
Making Things Happen
Junior Christian Santisteban has reached base in 16-straight games - including seven-straight with a hit - while posting a .494 OBP during that time with a .382 average, six doubles, a triple and a home run, 11 RBI and 11 walks. This season, the 2014 First Team All-MAAC selection is hitting .299, including .347 during MAAC play, with a team-leading 18 extra-base hits while ranking among the MAAC leaders with 27 walks (4th), 14 doubles (6th) and 79 total bases (9th). Additionally, during MAAC play he has a league-high 12 doubles.
Top Of The Order Getting It Done
Bisset and sophomore Matt Forlow have been very productive at the top of the order in the last 24 games. Bisset, who has batted safely in 10-of-11, is hitting .346 (27-for-78) out of the leadoff spot with 14 runs and a .441 OBP while Forlow has a .300 average (24-for-80) at the second slot.
McClennan, Teixeira Step Up
After combining for just 12 extra base hits a year ago, the duo of Joe McClennan and Teixeira have combined for 20 doubles, two triples and three homes this year and were at it in Sunday's doubleheader sweep of NJIT. McClennan went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a double in Manhattan's 11-1 win in the finale while Teixeira went 4-for-8 on the day with two multi-hit games, highlighted by a two-double performance in the Jaspers' 2-1 victory in game one. Both McClennan and Teixeira have a team-leading eight multi-RBI games this year.
Last 10
Senior Mikey Miranda, Sophomore Jason Patnick and freshman Michael Pfenninger have all been outstanding over their last 10 games. Miranda is batting .312 with seven runs and four walks while reaching base at a .389 clip. Patnick and Pfenninger, meanwhile, have each hit safely in eight of their last 10 games with Patnick checking at .321 average and Pfenninger at .308.
M.S.= Closing It Out
Maybe it has something to do with the initials but sophomore RHP Matt Simonetti and junior RHP Michael Scarinci have combined to notch each of the team's last three saves. Simonetti fired 2.0 perfect innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts at NJIT after earning the save against Fordham. Scarinci, meanwhile, picked up a 2.0-inning stop against Niagara. Simonetti has a team-leading four saves this year.
The Trio ...
Kalousdian, McClennan and Santisteban have combined to notch 47.3 percent of Manhattan's hits and 43.2 percent of the team's runs during MAAC play.
Improvement
After failing to record a two-bagger in 2014, Teixeira has crushed 13 doubles (t-9th MAAC) this season, including a pair of big two-run doubles in one-run wins over Quinnipiac and Marist.
Improvement x2
After driving in just 13 runs a year ago, Joe McClennan ranks seventh in the MAAC with 32 RBI.
Finishing Things Off
The trio of Kalousdian, Joe McClennan and Teixeira is hitting a combined .316 (24-for-76) with RISP during MAAC play.
Interesting
Over the last 14 games, the Jaspers' opposition has committed 28 errors after recording just 19 in the first 35 games.
Dutchess Stadium
Manhattan opened its 16-game home schedule on Thursday, April 2 against Marist at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., the new home of Jasper baseball. Home of the short-season class-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, Dutchess Stadium is used primarily for Hudson Valley Renegades baseball from late June to early September.
2015 MAAC Championship
Manhattan will host the 2015 MAAC Baseball Championship from May 20-24 at Dutchess Stadium.
Preseason Poll
The Jaspers were slated to finish sixth in the annual MAAC Coaches Poll with Canisius (115 points) tabbed to claim the 2015 MAAC Championship. Fairfield (107) was selected to finish second followed by Monmouth (89), Siena (83), Quinnipiac (73), Manhattan (61), Rider (55), Marist (50), Niagara (38), Iona (35) and Saint Peter's (20) 11th.
MAAC Success
Manhattan has qualified for 11 of the last 12 MAAC Tournaments and is 17-17 with three MAAC Championships and two runner-up finishes during that time.
Jaspers In the NCAAs
The Riverdale-based institution is 2-7 in four trips to the NCAA Regionals, finishing second at the 2006 Lincoln Regional.
