Head coach Chris Chernisky and the Niagara University baseball team (13-20) face Canisius College (7-23) in the 2005 Big Four Baseball Classic, played at Dunn Tire Park, home of the Buffalo Bison.
Game time is set for 3 p.m., with Buffalo facing St. Bonaventure in the second contest at 7 p.m.
Admission to all Big Four games is free.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Both Niagara’s contest against Canisius Tuesday and Wednesday’s game can be heard live on Niagara University’s official athletics website, www.PurpleEagles.com.
LAST SEASON’S BIG FOUR
Niagara won last season’s Big Four Championship, 8-7, in extra innings against St. Bonaventure, April 28, 2004.
Former Niagara infielder Vince Ircandia scored the game-winning run after senior shortstop Reed Eastley reached on an error.
Junior reliever Kyle Nicoletta picked up the win, pitching 3 2-3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out three.
The Purple Eagles defeated Buffalo the previous evening, 11-10, holding on for the one-run win despite allowing eight runs in the final two innings.
Eastley led all Niagara hitters in the two games with five RBI and three runs scored.
A LOOK AT NIAGARA
Winning seven of the last 10 games, the Purple Eagles enter the Big Four Baseball Classic on a two-game losing streak.
Finishing a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series with Fairfield University Monday, Niagara dropped two of three games against the Stags, falling, 6-4, in the series finale.
Emerging in the last 10 games is freshman infielder Andrew MacDonald, who’s batting a team-leading .553 with 21 hits and nine RBI in the last 10 games. Playing in 30 games this season, MacDonald raised his season total to 15 RBI with a .313 batting average, leading Niagara with seven stolen bases.
Leading the team with a .336 batting average, junior Mike Alati has scored a team-high 22 runs this season. Alati has a .757 slugging percentage in the last 10 games, recording eight of his 15 RBI in that same span of games.Junior Mike Medici leads the team with 23 RBI.
On the mound, freshman Mark Wilson gets the start in Tuesday’s contest against Canisius.
Wilson, who has appeared in nine games this season, gets his third start of the season. With a 7.43 ERA and a 1-1 record, Wilson pitched 2 2-3 innings in his last start, earning a no decision against St. Bonaventure April 19.
FACING FAMILIAR FACE
The Purple Eagles face a familiar face Tuesday against Canisius, playing former head coach Mike McRae, who took over the Griffs program after spending the last three seasons at Niagara.
In his career with the Purple Eagles, McRae led the team to a 65-86 record, earning MAAC Coach of the Year honors in the 2003 season.
Under McRae, Niagara made two appearances in the MAAC Tournament, in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
AGAINST CANISIUS
Having not faced the Golden Griffins in the 2005 season, Niagara was 3-0 last season against Canisius.
In the three games, all played at Bobo Field, May 20-21, the Purple Eagles outscored the Griffs, 37-13.
TWO EARN MAAC AWARDS
Becoming the first two Niagara players to earn MAAC Weekly Honors for the 2005 season, junior Matt Schaefer and freshman Andrew MacDonald were rewarded for their outstanding play Monday.
Schaefer, a junior outfielder, led Niagara with an .800 batting average last week, going 8-for-10 from the plate. Schaefer also led the team with a 1.100 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .769. In four games last week, he had four RBI and four runs scored.
MacDonald led the team with 12 hits last week, notching a team-leading seven RBI. His .750 batting average last week was second only to Schaefer, with the freshman shortstop also scoring four runs. MacDonald had a .938 slugging percentage and a . 750 on-base percentage last week.
RETURN OF EASTLEY
After missing the last 15 games due to injury, senior shortstop Reed Eastley returned to the Niagara lineup Sunday against Fairfield, playing in both games of the doubleheader against the Stags.
In his three games against Fairfield, Eastley went 1-for-6 with two runs scored.
Prior to the 2005 season, Eastley was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and earned preseason all-conference honors by both the league coaches and Baseball America.
NIAGARA LEAGUE LEADERS
As of Sunday, two Purple Eagle players are leading the conference statistically.Junior pitcher James Avery and sophomore pitcher Dan Griffin are tied for the conference lead with 60 strikeouts this season.
Griffin has since moved his season total to 68, earning a no decision in a 6-4 loss to Fairfield Monday.
Avery stands eighth in the conference with a 3.68 ERA.
As a team, Niagara ranks fourth in the MAAC in batting with a team batting average of .275. The Purple Eagles also rank fourth in the conference in team pitching with a team ERA of 5.32 and stand third in the MAAC in team fielding with a .959 team fielding percentage.
TWO AMONG PROSPECTS
Junior pitcher James Avery and sophomore pitcher Dan Griffin were both among the top prospects for this season’s Major League Baseball draft, as named by Baseball America.
Avery, a junior from Moose Jaw, Sask., was named the No. 1 prospect in the MAAC. Among the league leaders in stikeouts this season, Avery finished the 2004 season with a 3-1 record and a 3.86 ERA.
Standing at 6-foot-7, Griffin was named the No. 3 prospect in the MAAC.
Leading the conference with 68 strikeouts this season, Griffin has a 5.44 ERA in seven starts this season. The sophomore showed his potential in a April 16 start against Saint Peter’s, in which he notched a career-high 15 strikeouts.
THIS SEASON AGAINST BIG 4
This season, the Purple Eagles have a perfect 4-0 record against teams in the Big Four Baseball Classic.
Niagara swept a doubleheader against Buffalo, April 12 and swept its doubleheader against St. Bonaventure April 19.
The Purple Eagles have outscored Big Four teams, 24-13, this season.
