POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 17, 2017) – The Brewers look to continue their hot streak as they host the Mount Saint Mary College Knights this Wednesday April 19 at 4PM.  The matchup will be the penultimate non-conference showdown as Vassar looks to close the season strong.
 
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Mount Saint Mary College (5-21, 3-7 Skyline)
Links: (MSMC Baseball Home Page)(Roster)(Schedule)(Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Prentiss Field
Date: April 19, 2017
Time: 4:00 PM
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Last Time Out:  The Brewers came alive this weekend, sweeping a four-game series against Union, one of the top teams in the Liberty League.  The games got progressively more one-sided as the Brewer bats gained confidence.  Friday action saw late rallies carry Vassar to 4-3 and 6-2 wins.  Brewers scored early and often in Schenectady on Saturday, completing the sweep with 10-5 and 14-8 wins.
 
A Look at the Brewers (10-12, 4-5 Liberty League):
·       The Brewer bats jumped on the Union starters in the second day of action, scoring six runs in the first inning over the double-header.
·       Vassar took advantage of the short porches in Shuttleworth Park to slug four homers on day two.  Bobby Kinne, Denis Shanagher, Matt Martino, and Matt Schwartz each launched their first of the year.
·       Senior hurlers Adam Erkis and Trent Berg spun the Brewers first two complete games over the weekend for their first wins of the season.
·       The Brewers' big weekend has suddenly propelled them into playoff contention.  They sit just 1.5 games back of a quagmire at third place (RPI, St. Lawrence, and Union).  They will butt heads with RPI this coming weekend and St. Lawrence to close the season on the first weekend of May.
·       Freshman Evan Trausch had his biggest weekend to date, recording a hit in every game (including a 3-hit game in the finale), scoring five runs, and knocking in seven.  His season average now sits at .340.
·       Trausch and the rest of the Brewer infield have put the ball in play with superb consistency.  Trausch struck out for just the fourth time this year, bringing his K% to just 8.5%.  Second baseman Knigge sits at 11.4% and shortstop Matt Hernandez sports a team-low 8.3%.  Even fellow freshman Martino comes in with a not-too-shabby 17%.
·       Martino continued his stellar freshman campaign, going 4-8 over the weekend with five runs and five RBIs.  He showed his maturity in the second game, walking six times in the double header and more than doubling his season total up to that point.
·       Look for Freshman Billy Mathiesen to build off his last start, a six-inning shutout gem against CCNY.
 
A Look at the Knights (5-21, 3-7 Skyline):
 
·       The Knights showed some offensive life this past weekend, scoring 22 runs in a two-game split with College of Mount Saint Vincent.
·       MSMC used aggressiveness on the bases as a catalyst this weekend, going 7-9 on steal attempts and taking five bases on wild pitches.
·       At the center of the action was freshman leadoff hitter Nick Rizzo, collecting four hits and swiping his 18^th and 19^th bases.  His lightning speed has put pressure on the opposing defense, and he leads his team in runs by ten with 25 on the year.
·       Walk-on Junior Christopher Introcaso has raked three homeruns in his debut season.  After hitting .412 through his first eight games, he's cooled to a respectable .302.
·       Junior ace Christopher Ruggiero is coming off his second complete game over the weekend.  He has been effectively wild this season, walking 29 over 40.2 innings pitched, but also punching out 33.  He sports a 5.09 ERA through seven starts.
·       The Knights have faded in the Skyline and now sit four games out of the last playoff spot.  They are looking to this week's matchup to be a launching pad to a strong finish to the conference schedule
·       Freshman John Santana has made a splash this year at short, consistently producing atop the lineup.  He is among the team leaders in runs (15), hits (24), homers (2), and RBIs (10).

Up Next: The Brewers will take their talents to Troy this Saturday for an extremely important series against RPI.  They will look to continue their ascension up the Liberty League standings against one of the teams directly in front of them.