Games #36-38 vs. Central Connecticut State (NEC)
Info: April 26-28 | New Britain, Conn. | CCSU Baseball Field
Game One: Friday at 3 p.m.
Game Two: Saturday at 1 p.m.
Game Three: Sunday at 1 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row .... Live Stats: ccsubluedevils.com
CCSU Links: Schedule | Roster | News | Stats

New Britain, Conn. – The Le Moyne baseball team will play its third consecutive Northeast Conference series on the road this weekend as they travel to New Britain for a three-game set against the defending NEC Tournament Champion Central Connecticut State University.

Game one between the Dolphins and the Blue Devils is set for Friday at 3 p.m., with game two scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Le Moyne has played eight of its last nine games on the road, and most recently recorded a 4-1 non-conference win at UAlbany on Tuesday. Graduate right-hander Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) collected his third midweek victory on the mound after limiting the Great Danes to four hits and one run in five innings, then redshirt-junior righty Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) allowed zero hits, one walk and zero runs with three strikeouts in the final four innings to record his second save of the campaign.

Le Moyne and Central Connecticut State, which has won three of the last four NEC Tournaments, are both on the cusp of the conference postseason picture.

With six playoff spots up for grabs, CCSU sits in eighth with a 10-11 conference record, while the Dolphins are close behind with a 9-11 NEC resume. LIU, Sacred Heart and Wagner are tied in first, each with a 15-6 conference record, while Merrimack and Coppin State are tied in fifth with 11-10 conference records.

The Dolphins most recently suffered a sweep last weekend at Wagner, but prior to that they earned a 9-4 win at home over Niagara University, which sits in first place in the MAAC Standings.

Le Moyne shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham), who boasts team-highs in batting average (.309) and slugging percentage (.522) through 34 starts this season, launched three home runs last week with one against Niagara, and one in each of the first two games of the Wagner series.

Nevins now has five long balls on the season, which ties him for the team lead with outfielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) and catcher Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson).

Nevins' eight doubles during conference play is tied for the most among NEC hitters. The Poughkeepsie native currently sits in third in program history in career RBIs with 147.
With a team-high 12 doubles and one triple, Nevins lead the Dolphins in extra-base hits, and his 28 runs batted in are tied for the most on the team with infielder Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa).

Center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) is batting .305 for the Dolphins with 40 hits, nine doubles, 17 RBIs 18 walks, a team-high 25 runs scored, and a team-high nine stolen bases, while freshman second baseman Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) is third on the team in batting average at .297 through 32 starts.

Patchett, who has totaled 23 runs, 22 hits, five home runs, 18 RBIs and 19 walks through 31 games played, holds a team-best .462 on-base percentage.

Weekend starters Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius), Jacob Crystal (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and Jordan Goldmann (Encinitas, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy/Palomar College/Grossmont College) have each surpassed 50 innings pitched this season for the 'Phins, with Parker totaling a team-high 62.2 innings with a team-best 4.74 ERA.

With 241.0 innings pitched in his Le Moyne career, the senior left-hander is one inning away from moving into fifth all-time in program history in the category.

Crystal leads the team in strikeouts with 49, while Goldmann's four wins are tied for the most on the squad with Hoffacker,

Hoffacker holds a 4-3 record with two saves in a team-high 15 relief appearances. He delivered a tremendous outing during Le Moyne's 4-3 win at Sacred Heart in extra innings. Hoffacker entered the game to begin the bottom of the eighth, and he went on to complete four innings of work with three hits, one walk, and zero runs allowed with five strikeouts. Nevins drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 11^th, then Hoffacker held the Pioneers scoreless in the bottom half to register his fourth victory of the campaign.

The CCSU Blue Devils are led by head coach Charlie Hickey, who has been at the helm of the program since 2000. A five-time Northeast Conference Coach of the Year, Hickey is the all-time winningest coach in program history and has led the Blue Devils to all nine of their NEC Tournament titles.

CCSU went 25-5 in conference play during the 2023 regular season to claim the program's fourth NEC regular season title and the no. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The Blue Devils bested Sacred Heart and Wagner twice each during postseason play to claim the NEC crown and earn a spot in the 2023 NCAA Championship. Central Connecticut State was then placed in the Colombia Regional, where they fell to top-seeded South Carolina and second-seeded Campbell.

So far this season, CCSU is 11-20 overall and most recently suffered a 15-14 loss against Quinnipiac.

In their most recent conference series, the Blue Devils took two of three games at FDU. CCSU also played UAlbany this season during a midweek contest on April 16 and fell to the Great Danes by a score of 9-7.

After getting swept by Merrimack during the first weekend of April, the Blue Devils bounced back the following week with three wins against Maryland Eastern Shore.

CCSU is currently second among NEC teams in extra-base hits during conference play with 38 doubles, six triples and 22 home runs.

Junior infielder Brady Short leads the Blue Devils in hits (47), walks (19), runs (24) and on-base percentage (.446), while senior catcher Jeff Nicol has tallied 30 hits, 22 runs batted in, seven doubles and five home runs. Senior infielder Elliot Good is third on the team in runs batted in with 20 in addition to 23 hits, six doubles, three home runs and 21 runs scored.

Junior outfielder Gianno Merlonghi was named the NEC Player of the Week after going 3-for-6 with five runs batted in during game two against the Knights, which resulted in a 16-2 win for CCSU, followed by a 3-for-5 outing with two runs and five RBIs during an 11-5 win in the series finale.

Senior left-handed pitcher Jake Neuman holds a 3-4 record with a 4.89 ERA through eight starts and a team-high 46.0 innings pitched so far this season.

Sophomore right-hander Drew Munn has also made eight starts this season for CCSU with two wins and 38.0 innings pitched, while senior lefty Anthony Mozzicato has made seven starts and is tied with Neuman for the team lead in strikeouts with 28.

Junior left-hander Vincent Spizzoucco was named the NEC Pitcher of the Week after earning a complete game victory in game two at FDU. Spizzoucco conceded seven hits and two runs with nine strikeouts to improve his record to 1-0.

Up Next:
Following the series at CCSU, the Le Moyne baseball team will conclude its road stretch with a midweek non-conference game at Canisius on Tuesday. The Dolphins will then return home to host Maryland Eastern Shore for a three-game series at Dick Rockwell Field beginning on Friday, May 3.