NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Looking to extend a two-game winning streak, the Niagara University baseball team (12-18, 6-4) visits Fairfield University (7-25, 5-7) for a three-game series at Alumni Diamond this weekend. Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s single game are set for noon starts.
The Purple Eagles are coming off a sweep of the Tuesday doubleheader against St. Bonaventure University.
Leading Niagara in the sweep was freshman infielder Andrew MacDonald (Charlottetown, P.E.I.), who went a perfect 7-for-7 in the doubleheader with a team-leading five RBI. MacDonald is batting .279 this season with 13 RBI in 27 games.
Juniors Mike Medici (Latham, N.Y.) and Mike Alati (Woodbridge, Ont.) continue to lead the Purple Eagles from the plate, each hitting over .300.
Medici leads the team with a .316 batting average and 20 RBI. Alati, batting .309 with 11 RBI, leads Niagara with 21 runs scored and nine doubles. He takes a six-game hit streak into this weekend’s series against the Stags, scoring runs in the last four.
Junior Andrew MacNevin (St. Catharines, P.E.I.) is tied for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference lead with five home runs.
Starting on the mound in Game 1 Saturday is junior James Avery (Moose Jaw, Sask.), who is 2-3 with a 3.83 ERA. In his career, Avery is 1-0 against the Stags, earning a 11-4 win March 29, 2003.
Sophomore Josh Sawatzky (Altona, Man.) starts Game 2 Saturday. Winning his last two starts, Sawatzky (3-4) has a 5.43 ERA, leading the team in innings pitched this season (54.2) in 11 appearances.
Sophomore Dan Griffin (Schenectady, N.Y.) starts Sunday’s contest. Making six starts this season, Griffin (1-4) leads the MAAC with 60 strikeouts.
Fairfield enters this weekend’s conference series losing three of the last five games. The Stags were swept by Yale in a doubleheader Tuesday, losing 9-6; 6-1 games to the Bulldogs.
Junior infielder John Scaife leads the team with a .318 batting average and 36 RBI. In 31 games this season, Scaife has 16 runs scored and four home runs.
Behind Scaife, junior Doug Anderson is batting .306, playing in all 32 games. Anderson has 16 RBI and 23 runs scored, leading the Stags with 19 drawn walks this season.
Junior pitcher Steve Tyburski (1-4) is the probable starter for Game 1 Saturday, making a team-high eight starts with a 10.19 ERA.
Senior Tim Dugan (2-4) and sophomore Ed Kamintzky (2-3) are the probable starters for Games 2 and 3, respectively. Kamintzky leads all Stag starting pitchers with a 2.42 ERA in six starts.
Last season, Fairfield won two of three games against Niagara, played at Bobo Field, April 24-26, 2004.
