Utica, NY (4/11/14) – The Utica College baseball team (4-8, 0-2 E8) returns to action for four games this weekend on the road against Ithaca on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch for Saturday is set for 1:30 p.m.
Last Time Out: UC downed Hamilton College 3-1 in the 27th Annual Jackie Robinson Game on Thursday … Junior
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) earned the team MVP honors for the game after pitching six innings with seven strikeouts and giving up one run … Watson hit a single to drive in the third run of the game, too … Junior catcher
Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) went 2-4 at the plate and scored a run in the game.
Tough Out: Junior
Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) is third in the conference in batting average (.440) and first in on base percentage (.548) … With 11 hits and six walks in seven games, opposing teams are having trouble keeping Hobaica off the base paths … He has scored at least one run in six of the seven games he has played this season.
Hitting Streak: Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) is currently on an eight-game hitting streak … He has at least one hit in nine out of ten games this season … In the last eight games, Dinnen has 13 hits and is batting .500 in those eight games … With his three home runs on the year, he is easily leading the team in slugging percentage (.769).
Scouting the Bombers: Ithaca (15-5, 3-1 E8) is coming off a 3-1 win over The College at Brockport on Wednesday … The Bombers are 11-1 since going 2-4 on a trip to California to start the season … The team is led by Colby Gee who is leading the team in batting average (.441), slugging percentage (.647), and on base percentage (.519) … Last season, UC fell to Ithaca in all three games against the Bombers … The Pioneers are looking for their first win against Ithaca since 2010.
Looking Ahead: Utica returns home next Wednesday for a double-header against SUNYIT … The first game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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