UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team is right back in action Thursday as it takes the diamond against Cazenovia College in non-conference play … The nine-inning game will be played at DeLutis Field in Rome, NY and is a home game for Cazenovia.
UC TAKES HOME-OPENER: The Pioneers downed local rival SUNY Polytechnic Institute Wednesday afternoon, 9-7, in their home-opener … Junior pitcher
Josh Luczak (Ava, NY/RFA) tossed seven innings allowing four runs while striking out three for his second win of the season ... UC held a 9-4 lead headed into the final inning as SUNY made a late rush scoring three runs in the top of the ninth, however Utica closer
Ethan Bliss (Cooperstown, NY /Cooperstown) shutdown the Wildcats for his first save of the season … Freshman
Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) led the UC offense going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored while
Matthew DeMartino (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) added two hits, one run and one RBI.
BACK IN FIRST: With yesterday's win, the Pioneers are now 12-7 and edged themselves back into first place in the Empire 8 in win percentage (.632) … Stevens (15-9) is in second with a .625 win percentage … Houghton sits in third at 14-12 and a win percentage of .548 followed by Ithaca who occupies fourth at .500 … Fisher, Canton and Elmira round out the standings.
EVERDAY WATSON: Senior
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) is the only Pioneer that has played in all 19 games this season while starting 18 and leads the team in hitting with a .333 batting average … Watson also heads the squad with 19 hits and has a team-best .444 on base percentage … His on base percentage ranks him ninth in the Empire 8 … On the mound, Watson has been outstanding as he ranks in the top ten in almost every pitching category in the league … In 25.0 innings, he is tied for first in runs allowed (seven), second in opposing batting average (.209) and hits allowed (19) while sixth in earned run average (2.16).
A TRUE BACKSTOP: Senior catcher
Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) is UC's everyday backstop starting an impressive 18-of-19 games this season … Dinnen is in the top ten in seven fielding categories in the Empire 8 … He is second in the conference with just one passed ball allowed and has thrown out 10 runners, ranking him third … At the plate, he leads the squad in doubles, is tied for first with 10 RBI and is second in hits (18) and total bases (22) behind Watson.
NEWCOMERS ON THE MOVE: Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston),
Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) and
Ryon Lupia (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) have stepped right in and had an impact for the Pioneers as all three are hitting better than .300 … Ryan leads the team in slugging with a .467 mark, is tied for first in average (.333) and is second in on base percentage (.429) … Thomas is third in average (.319), hits (15) and slugging while Lupia is fourth in hitting (.304) and holds a .348 slugging and a .370 on base percentage.
WELCOME ITHACA: Following Thursday's game, UC returns home for back-to--back doubleheaders over the weekend as it welcomes Empire 8 for Ithaca College … First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. while Sunday's twin bill is set for 12 p.m. at the Utica College Baseball Field … Ithaca s currently 8-8 on the season.
