NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University baseball team (6-17) hosts the University at Buffalo (11-14) in a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at Sal Maglie Stadium, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The first game of the doubleheader is set for a 4 p.m. start.
The Purple Eagles look to extend a three-game winning streak in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Bulls.
In the weekend sweep of Iona College, Niagara outscored the Gaels, 23-10, led by the hitting of junior first baseman Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y.). Going 5-for-12 in the three games, Solini led the Purple Eagles with six RBI, scoring two runs. This season, Solini is batting .265, third on the team, with 13 RBI and 11 runs scored.
Leading Niagara from the plate is junior catcher Mike Medici (Latham, N.Y.), who has a .342 batting average and a .532 slugging percentage. Medici, leading the team with 17 RBI in 23 games this season, has a .327 batting average in non-conference games this season.
Junior Andrew MacNevin (St. Catharines, P.E.I.) leads the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with five home runs this season.
Starting on the mound for the Purple Eagles is sophomore Ryan Virtue (Stittsville, Ont.) and senior Chris Cerchie (Lasalle, Ont.) in Games 1 and 2, respectively. Virtue (0-1) has made nine appearances this season, making his only start of the season against Pittsburgh March 29. Tuesday’s game will be the first start of the season for Cerchie.
Last season, Niagara went 3-2 in the five games against the Bulls.
Buffalo lost two of three games against Bowling Green this past weekend, going 2-3 in its last five games.
Leading the team with 23 RBI and five home runs, junior James Kingsley has a .323 batting average and .566 slugging percentage, starting all 25 games this season.
Also contributing is senior shortstop and two-time team Most Valuable Player Joe Mihalics. Standing second on the team with 31 hits, Mihalics has a .304 batting average and 12 RBI. Last season, he broke the Buffalo all-time mark for hits in a season with 76.
The Bulls look to start sophomore Matt Francavillo in Game 1 of the Tuesday doubleheader. He will be followed by junior Sean McWilliams in Game 2. Francavillo has an 0-3 record with a 8.82 ERA this season, with McWilliams having an 0-2 record with an 6.39 ERA.
The Bulls are 1-1 against teams from the MAAC, splitting their doubleheader with Canisius April 6.
Tuesday’s doubleheader will be the first time this season the Purple Eagles have played at Sal Maglie Stadium, the first of seven home games played at the Niagara Falls location. Last season, Niagara was 2-2 in games played at Sal Maglie Stadium. Admission to Tuesday’s doubleheader is $2 for adults and $1 for children (ages 12-and-under). Niagara students are admitted free of charge.
