Game #12-14 vs. LIU (NEC)
Info: March 8-9 | Brookville, N.Y. | LIU Baseball Stadium
Game One: Friday @ 11 a.m.
Game Two: Friday @ 2 p.m.
Game Three: Saturday @ 1 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row .... Live Stats: liuathletics.com
Le Moyne BB Social Media: Twitter | Instagram
LIU Links: Schedule | Roster | News | Stats

Brookville, N.Y. – The Le Moyne baseball will make its Northeast Conference debut on Friday at LIU. The Dolphins and Sharks will play two nine-inning games on Friday beginning at 11 a.m., then the two sides will conclude the three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The games will be streamed on NEC Front Row.

Le Moyne (3-8) won one game in each of its three non-conference weekend series to begin the campaign, then fell to Bucknell on Tuesday in its first weekday matchup.

Shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) was named Northeast Conference Player of the Week after going 7-11 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBI during Le Moyne's three-game series at Saint Louis University. During the Dolphins' 6-5 win over the previously unbeaten Billikens in the series opener, Nevins drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning to complete the come-from-behind win for the 'Phins.

Through 11 games played this season, Nevins leads the Dolphins in hits (17), runs scored (8), doubles (4) and home runs (2). Nevins' OPS (On-base plus slugging) currently stands at 1.244.

Catcher/infielder Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) earned Le Moyne's first-ever NEC Player of the Week honor for week two of the season after tallying six RBIs during the three-game series at Radford. Keneston currently leads the team with nine RBI through 10 starts.

Junior left-handed pitcher Jacob Crystal (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) was named an NEC Prime Performer along with Nevins for week three of the season following a solid outing in game two of the Saint Louis series.

The Billikens entered the series averaging over 14 runs per game with eight consecutive victories to begin the season, and after Le Moyne bested them in game one on Friday behind stellar pitching performances from starter Max Parker and reliever Billy Hoffacker, Crystal allowed just one earned run with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work during the Saturday contest.

Hoffacker earned his second win of the season during the game one victory in Saint Louis, allowing one hit, one walk and zero runs in 2.0 innings after Parker went 7.0 innings for the second time in three starts this season.

Parker, who was named First Team All-NE10 and Second Team All-East Region during his junior campaign in 2023, is limiting opposing hitters to a .240 average with a 1.25 WHIP and a team-high 17 strikeouts through a team-high 20.0 innings pitched this season.

Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) currently holds a .429 on-base percentage with nine hits, six walks, five hit-by-pitches and seven runs batted in through 11 starts in the outfield and at first base.

Although the Dolphins will be new to the Northeast Conference this season, the Le Moyne baseball program competed at the Division I level from 1988 through 2011. Le Moyne was a member of the ECAC from 1988 to 1990, then competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) from 1991 to 2007, then played as an independent from 2008-2011 before transitioning to Division II in 2012.

LIU head coach Dan Pirillo is in his eighth season as the program's leader. He was named NEC Coach of the Year in 2022 after leading the Sharks to a regular season championship with a 18-9 conference record. During the 2023 season, LIU finished fifth in the NEC with a 16-14 conference record, then was eliminated in the NEC Tournament after losing twice to fourth-seeded Sacred Heart.

LIU returns 2023 NEC All-Conference honorees Carlton Harper and Jake Mastillo to this year's squad.

Harper slashed .330/.387/.440) with 72 hits, 22 walks and 32 RBI on his way to being named to the all-conference first team as a designated hitter, while Mastillo was a second-team selection as an outfielder after producing 48 runs, 14 home runs, 15 doubles, 12 stolen bases and 49 runs batted in in 55 starts.

So far this season the Sharks are 1-8, with their lone win coming in game two of a three-game series at University of Miami.

LIU captured a 4-2 win against the Hurricanes with the help of a go-ahead solo home run from third baseman Noah Sorensen in the top of the ninth inning.

Freshman right-hander Matt Galli got his first career win after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings in relief, then graduate left-hander Jack VanDoran recorded the save after getting the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Mastillo currently leads the Sharks in hits (11), doubles (4), home runs (3) and runs batted in (12) through nine games played. First baseman JC Navarro, who was tied for the team lead in hits with 72 during the 2023 season in addition to 11 home runs and 44 RBI, has a team-best nine runs with three runs home and seven RBI so far in 2024.

Starting pitchers Garrett Yawn and Dominic Pieto have both thrown a team-high 12.1 innings so far this season.

Both Le Moyne and LIU played a three-game series at Radford this season. Le Moyne took game one of their series at Radford in extra innings by a score of 8-6 before losing the final two games of the series, while LIU lost all three of their contests against the Highlanders last weekend.