Asheville, NC - Manhattan (2-8) opens its annual Spring Break trip with three games at UNC Asheville (2-9) starting Friday, March 9 with a 2:00 pm doubleheader.
Schedule:
Game 1 - Friday, March 9 - 2:00 pm
UNCA So. LHP Greg Gasparro (0-1; 4.50 ERA; 14.0 IP; 11 K; 11 BB; .278 opp. BA) vs. Manhattan Jr. RHP Marc Galvan (0-1; 2.77 ERA; 13.0 IP; 9 K; 5 BB; .278 opp. BA)
Game 2 - Friday, March 9 - 5:00 pm
UNCA Sr. RHP Nick Boyles (0-0; 6.00 ERA; 3.0 IP; 2 K; 5 BB; .308 opp. BA) vs. Manhattan GS LHP Joe Jacques (1-1; 2.63 ERA; 13.2 IP; 16 K; 2 BB; .435 opp. BA)
Game 3 - Saturday, March 10 - 12:00 pm
UNCA So. LHP Jordan Carr (1-1; 2.87 ERA; 15.2 IP; 11 K; 6 BB; .276 opp. BA) vs. Manhattan Jr. RHP Joe DiNizio (0-1; 8.38 ERA; 9.2; 10 K; 2 BB; .333 opp. BA)
SCOUTING UNC ASHEVILLE
The Bulldogs have lost seven-straight games, including three last weekend to perennial power Florida State, and are led off on offense by Carmine Pagano (.313, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI).
LAST WEEK
The Jaspers picked up the first wins of the Mike Cole era last weekend while collecting the program's first non-conference series victory since the 2016 season thanks to taking two-of-three from reigning Atlantic 10 Regular Season Champion VCU.
STUART THE STOPPER
To say that sophomore RHP T.J. Stuart had a solid weekend in Virginia would be a tremendous understatement as the Nutmeg State native earned the win on Friday before firing 3.0 hitless innings in collecting the save on Sunday. All told, Stuart struck out three while yielding one hit and holding opposing hitters to a scant .067 average over 5.0 innings. On the year, he has a team-leading 2.08 ERA with eight strikeouts over 8.2 frames while holding batters to a .154 mark.
JACQUES FTW
Jacques clinched the Manhattan series win with 6.0 solid innings in the Jaspers' 6-4 win on Sunday in notching his first victory since besting Monmouth on May 26, 2016 at the MAAC Tournament. On the year, Jacques has a team-leading 16 strikeouts, against just two walks, with a 2.63 ERA over 13.2 innings.
GALVAN & DINIZIO STEP UP
Galvan and DiNizio were outstanding last weekend with Galvan striking out three and not allowing an earned run over 6.0 innings of five-hit ball in game one while DiNizio struck out five, against no walks, while scattering six hits over 6.2 innings in game two.
SIMONETTI SHUTS DOWN STONY BROOK
Graduate student Matt Simonetti dominated Stony Brook to the tune of 3.0 innings of one-hit ball on Tuesday.
INTERESTING
- Galvan worked at least 6.0 innings for the second time in his career at VCU and has nine strikeouts with a 2.77 ERA over 13.0 innings.
- DiNizio's 6.2 innings at VCU are a career-high.
- Over the last four games, the quartet of starting pitchers Jacques, Galvan, DiNizio and Simonetti have pitched to a 2.08 ERA with 11 strikeouts, against one walk, over 21.2 innings of action.
OFFENSE LIGHTS IT UP
Manhattan scored a season-high eight runs in Friday's 8-6 win over VCU thanks to denting the scoreboard for six runs, on eight hits, in the eighth inning while sending 11 batters to the plate. Up to that point, the Jaspers hadn't scored that many runs in a game over their first seven outings. The Jaspers followed up that offensive explosion with six runs in the series-clinching 6-4 victory.
TROCHIANO KEEPS CHURNING
Freshman Will Trochiano hit safely in all three games last weekend (.364) and has reached base safely in all 10 games on the year. The Garden State native paces Manhattan in batting (.333), hits (12), runs (6), doubles (2), home runs (1), RBI (7), total bases (17) and OBP (.442).
FRESHMAN IN NAME ONLY
Like Trochiano, classmate Matt Padre has been a major part of the Jasper offense this year and over his last four games is hitting .333 (4-for-12) with four runs and four walks. Additionally, he scored a run and a drove one in during Manhattan's six-run eighth on Friday before scoring the eventual winning run on Sunday. He is hitting .241 (7-of-29) on the year with four runs
CERDA, GENNERS BREAK OUT
Sophomore Alex Cerda hit a team-best .444 last weekend while senior Adam Genners batted .375 last weekend.
PENA NAMED TO JOHNNY BENCH WATCH LIST
Junior Fabian Pena has been named to the official watch list for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. Pena has a team-leading two doubles, one home run and seven RBI.
RACE TO 100
Graduate student Matt Forlow is just one hit short of 100 for his career.
COLE COMES HOME
This year marks the beginning of the Cole regime at Manhattan. Cole served as an assistant for the Jaspers from 2005-2008 and was most recently an assistant at Fairfield where he helped the Stags to back-to-back MAAC Regular Season Championships and the 2016 MAAC Title.
THE RETURNERS
The Jaspers return 25 letterwinners, including seven starting position players, for the second-straight season. Click HERE for the entire prospectus.
PENA GARNERS PRESEASON HONORS
Pena was tabbed as the top MAAC pro prospect by both Baseball America (BA) and D1Baseball.Com.
PENA PACES THE OFFENSE
One of the top players in the Northeast since he set foot on campus as a freshman, Pena has hit .330 (149-of-452) with 48 doubles, 13 home runs and 93 RBI while starting all 116 Manhattan games during his time in Riverdale.
JACQUES LAUDED
The Garden State native was tabbed as the No. 10 prospect in the MAAC by BA and No. 11 by D1.Baseball.Com.
BISSET BREAKS OUT
The unquestioned breakout star of last season was senior Brendan Bisset. After missing the bulk of his sophomore year due to injury, Bisset hit a team-leading .335 with 11 doubles, one triple, one home run and 29 RBI.
TOP TWO IN 2019 ...
Stuart was lauded as the No. 5 pro prospect from the MAAC in 2019 while sophomore Nick Massa was tabbed as No. 9. Both players made an immediate impact as rookies a year ago and will figure prominently this season.
ROAD WARRIORS
Manhattan will play its first 33 games on the road after playing its first 17 away from home a year ago.
FROM THE BRONX TO THE PROS
Tom Cosgrove decided to forgo his final year of eligibility after being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 12th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft while Jose Carrera inked a professional deal with the New York Yankees. Additionally, signee Tai Tiedemann was selected by the Texas Rangers in the eighth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
DUTCHESS STADIUM
Manhattan will call Duchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, NY home for the fourth-straight season, playing 14 games there.
MAAC PRESEASON POLL
The Jaspers were tabbed to finish 10th out of 11 teams.
THE STAFF
Former Manhattan great and 2017 Athletic Hall of Famer Chris Cody and Vincent Redmond complete Cole's first staff.
MAAC MAGIC
The Jaspers will be attempting to qualify for their third-straight MAAC Tournament and the fourth in five years after earning the sixth spot on the final day of the 2017 season.
SUNDAYS ARE FOR THE JASPERS
Manhattan went 7-2 in MAAC action on Sundays a year ago.
SEE YOU IN STATEN ISLAND
The 2018 MAAC Baseball Championship will be held at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island, NY from May 23-26. The 2019 and 2020 championships will also be held at the home of the Single-A Staten Island Yankees.
WHAT'S A JASPER?
The unique nickname of Manhattan College's athletic teams, the Jaspers, comes from one of the College's most memorable figures, Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., who served as the College's athletic director in the late 19th century. One of the greatest achievements of Brother Jasper was that he brought the then little-known sport of baseball to Manhattan College and became the team's first coach. Since Brother Jasper was also the Prefect of Discipline, he supervised the student fans at Manhattan baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when the college was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy with the team coming to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called timeout and told the students to stand up and stretch for a few minutes until the game resumed. Since the College annually played the New York Giants in the late 1880's and into the 1890's at the old Polo Grounds, the Manhattan College practice of the "seventh inning stretch" spread into the major leagues, where it has now become a time-honored custom practiced by millions of fans annually.
UP NEXT
Manhattan will open a two-game series at Radford on Tuesday, March 13 at 4:00 pm.