Utica, NY - The Utica College baseball team heads to Rochester, NY this weekend for back-to-back doubleheaders against Empire 8 rival St. John Fisher College ... The teams will play one nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning contest on both Saturday and Sunday ... First pitch is set for 12 p.m. both days.

UC ECLIPSES 2014 WIN TOTAL: Utica is currently 11-3 and has already surpassed last seasons' win total of nine … The Pioneers went 9-23 last season during Coach Millazzo's first year campaign … UC is off to one of its best starts in over 20 plus year's … The Pioneers currently lead the Empire 8 standings with a .786 win percentage.

LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a three win weekend … Utica downed the Soaring Eagles 6-3 on Friday afternoon and followed up with two more wins on Sunday beating EC, 8-0 and 10-1 … On Friday, senior Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, while Stephen Szatko (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) picked up the win on the mound striking out six … Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) tossed a complete seven inning shutout in game one on Saturday striking out a season-best 11 batters … In game two, the Pioneers offense helped Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) earn his first victory of the season on the mound … UC scored ten runs on eight hits and the help of 15 walks to complete the weekend sweep of Elmira.

ON THE MOUND: The Pioneers are led by senior Stephen Szatko (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) who leads the team and the conference with a 4-0 record and opposing batting average (.149) … He is also second in earned run average with an impressive 0.82 … Szatko is aided by juniors Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS), Josh Luczak (Ava, NY/RFA), and senior Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro)…Webb leads the conference in strikeouts (38), batters struck out looking (16) and has an ERA of 1.29…Watson is second in the conference for hits allowed giving up just 11, and has an era of  2.04 … Luczak is 1-0 and has an ERA of 2.25.
 
THE .300 CLUB:  Five Pioneers are currently hitting better than .300 including Christopher Wotten (Blackstock, Ontario/Cartwright), Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markam), Ryon Lupia (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) … Wotten is leading the way with a .389 average (7-for-18) in eight games along with five runs scored and four RBI … Thomas is hitting .343 (12-for-35) in ten games and has four RBI, three doubles and two runs scored … Lupia has put together a .333 mark at the dish while Pexton (.304) and Ryan (.304) round out .300 hitters.

HOBAICA ON THE BASES: Senior Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) works his way around the bases as he leads the team and is sixth in the conference in runs scored with 14 … Despite hitting just .167 in 13 games, Hobaica has worked a team best 10 walks ranking him fourth in the league … He is also tied for first in the E8 with four sacrifice bunts and has stolen 7-of-9 bases.

WEBB EARNS E8 PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) was named the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week Monday for the week ending April 5^th … The junior pitcher shut out Elmira College in the Pioneers' 8-0 victory on Saturday … Webb pitched a complete game, gave up just three hits, and struck out a season-best 11 batters … Against Elmira he threw 93 pitches, secured six ground outs and registered three fly outs … He has pitched a complete game in all four of his starts this season, compiling a 2-1 record and a 1.29 earned run average … He leads the team with 28.0 innings pitched and he leads the conference with 38 strikeouts … His 1.29 ERA ranks fourth in the conference.

EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE: Utica College's pitching staff leads the Empire 8 Conference in earned run average with a mark of 2.56, they also lead the conference in hits allowed giving up just 101 … UC is second in opposing batting average with a mark of .246.

THE CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT: Fisher is currently 6-14 overall and has dropped six straight ... The Cardinals were recently swept by conference rival Stevens in a three game set including being shutout, 4-0, in the final game of the weekend this past Sunday ... SJF has been outscored 39-15 during its current losing streak ... Fisher has not yet played a home game this season.

UP NEXT: Following Thursday's game, the Pioneers return to action over the weekend as they head to Rochester, NY for a back-to-back doubleheaders against St. John Fisher … First pitch is set for 12 p.m. both days.