Live Stats | Live AudioThe Purple Eagles head to State College, Pa. to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions for a three-game series starting Friday, March 18 and concluding Sunday, March 20.
On the Field: Niagara Purple Eagles (2-15) - At the plate, Niagara is led by senior infielder Michael Fuhrman. Fuhrman leads the team with a .469 batting average, a .641 slugging percentage and a .521 on base percentage. Fuhrman also has a team-high 16 runs on the season so far.
- Fuhrman and Taylor Hackett lead the Purple Eagles in RBIs with nine each.
- In the field, catcher Joel Brophy leads the team with 92 putouts. Freshman Greg Cullen has a team-best 33 assists.
- On the mound, Zachary Kolodziejski (0-1) has pitched the most innings (20.0) and has an earned run average of 7.65. Matt McCuen (1-2) has pitched a total of 15.1 innings and has a 3.53 earned run average.
Last Time Out
- The Purple Eagles faced off with Brigham Young University for the first time in program history March 10-12. Niagara and the Cougars played a four-game series; BYU took all four game with scores of 14-1, 14-10, 14-2 and 15-3.
- Brophy went 6-for-14 at the plate and had a team-leading .429 batting average over the series. He also had a team-leading .643 slugging percentage and .500 on base percentage. He had four total runs.
- In the field, Christian Vangeison led Niagara with 26 putouts. He also had six assists and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
- Greg Cullen had a team-best eight assists.
- On the mound, Jordan Parranto pitched 3.0 innings and had an ERA of 3.00. McCuen pitched 2.2 innings and finished the series with a 3.38 ERA.
- Infielder Vangeison and outfielder Tanner Kirwer also took a turn on the mound. Vangeison pitched 2.0 innings, struck out two batters and had a 13.50 ERA and Kirwer pitched 1.0 innings, struck out one batter and had a 0.00 ERA.
Niagara in the MAAC
- Niagara leads the MAAC in on-base percentage (.358), runs scored (87), hits (160), doubles (35), batters struck out (114), putouts (403) and assists (132). The Purple Eagles are tied for first with Iona in stolen bases with 19.
- Niagara has the second-best team batting average (.272), slugging percentage (.374) and the second-most RBIs (70) and homeruns (seven).
- Fuhrman leads the MAAC in runs scored (16), hits (30), doubles (eight) and total bases (41). Fuhrman's .469 batting average is the fifth-best in the MAAC.
- In the field, Brophy leads the MAAC with 92 putouts. Cullen is tied for second-most assists with 33.
- On the mound, Kolodziejski has pitched the most innings in the MAAC (20.0) and has struck out the most batters (18). McCuen leads the MAAC in games finished with six.
Last Meeting with Penn State
- The Purple Eagles and Nittany Lions last met on May 10, 2011 at Penn State. The Nittany Lions defeated Niagara, 4-1.
On The Field: Penn State Nittany Lions (5-9)
- Infielder Jim Haley leads Penn State with a .339 batting average and a .536 slugging percentage. Haley has a team-high 11 RBIs and is a perfect 3-3 in stolen bases.
- In the field, Tyler Kendall has a team-best 93 putouts. Conlin Hughes leads the Nittany Lions in assists with 38.
- On the mound, Justin Hagenman (2-1) has pitched 26.0 total innings, struck out 12 batters and has a 1.38 earned run average.
- Taylor Lehman (1-3) has 23 strike-outs in 24.1 innings pitched and an earned run average of 4.07.
Looking Ahead
- Following their three-game series at Penn State, the Purple Eagles will take on Little 3 rival St. Bonaventure on Tuesday, March 22.
- Niagara will begin conference play with a three-game series at Siena on March 25-26.
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