SETON HALL Weekly Notes - West Virginia (.pdf)
April 27-29, 2012
WEST VIRGINIA (17-24, 5-10) at
SETON HALL (23-18, 8-7)
Owen T. Carroll Field
South Orange, N.J.
Game 42: Fri., April 27 - 6:00 p.m. - Owen T. Carroll Field
Corey Walter (RHP) vs. Jon Prosinski (RHP)
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Game 43: Sat., April 28 - 1:00 p.m. - Owen T. Carroll Field
Marshall Thompson (LHP) vs. Ryan Harvey (RHP)
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Radio: 89.5 FM WSOU CLICK HERE
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Game 44: Sun., April 29 - 1:00 p.m. - Owen T. Carroll Field
Dan Dierdorff (RHP) vs. Brian Gilbert (RHP)
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SETON HALL STATUS
Seton Hall dropped two out of three games last weekend with Villanova, but rebounded nicely with a pair of mid-week victories. Jon Prosinski went eight innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters in Seton Hall's 8-2 victory over Villanova on Friday. Saturday's first game had the Pirates with a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning, but the Wildcats scored three times in the eighth to tie the game and then won it with three more in the 12th inning. Saturday's nightcap was also close until Villanova scored six runs in the eighth inning to defeat Seton Hall 12-5. The Pirates bounced back on Tuesday with a 15-3 pounding of Monmouth. Junior Scott Kalamar hit a grand slam to go with six RBIs in the convincing win. On Wednesday, Greg Terhune pitched 5.2 innings of one run baseball to lift the Pirates to a 4-1 victory over Iona at Owen T. Carroll Field.
SETON HALL - WEST VIRGINIA SERIES
Seton Hall and West Virginia will meet for a three-game set beginning Friday. It will be the 42nd, 43rd and 44th meeting all-time between the teams with the Mountaineers holding a 26-15 advantage. West Virginia has won the last two regular season series over Seton Hall including a win in two of three games at Morgantown last year. The Pirates lost game one, 6-3, despite a strong relief performance from Brian Gilbert. Seton Hall bounced back in game two with a 5-3 win behind the stellar pitching of Joe DiRocco. In game three, Seton Hall was edged, 3-2. The Pirates had a small measure of revenge however, as they defeated the Mountaineers, 10-4, in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship last season in Clearwater, Fla.
BIG EAST LEAGUE LEADER
Junior Jon Prosinski has allowed only five earned runs in 37.2 innings against BIG EAST opponents for a 1.19 conference ERA this season. It is the best ERA for any starting pitcher in the league this season, and over 0.70 runs clear of his next closest competition.
DOUBLE DOZEN
Following Prosinski's eight-inning, 10-strikeout performance, junior George Fernandez came on and fanned two in the ninth to nail down the win. In game two against VU, Pirate pitchers again sent down 12 Wildcats as starter Ryan Harvey struck out seven in six innings and Jose Lopez combined with Benny Mejia to record five Ks in 5.1 innings out of the bullpen during the 12-inning affair.
BOUNCE BACK
After dropping the final two games of the series to Villanova, the Pirates took full advantage of two midweek opportunities, posting wins over Monmouth and Iona. At Monmouth, SHU bashed its way to a 15-3 win behind four hits each from Scott Kalamar and Giuseppe Papaccio. Against Iona the following day, junior Greg Terhune combined with four relievers to stifle the Gaels' offense in a 4-1 victory. Terhune picked up his second win of the year and Mejia notched his fourth save.
RAREFIED AIR
Four different Pirates knocked in multiple runs in the onslaught against Monmouth during a 15-3 win. The charge was led by six RBIs from Scott Kalamar and two apiece for Sal Annunziata, Giuseppe Papaccio and Ryan Sullivan. Kyle Grimm also added an RBI against the Hawks. The 15 runs was the most by an SHU team since the Pirates manhandled Georgetown, 18-2 on May 15, 2008 in the nation's capital.
SLAMMIN' SCOTTY
Junior Scott Kalamar erupted for a career day in SHU's 15-3 dismantling of Monmouth. He turned in a 4-for-6, six RBI performance that included a grand slam. It was the first long ball Kalamar has hit has a Pirate and the six runs-batted in are a single-game high by a SHU player this season. The junior had plated just five runs in 19 games prior to the contest.
PROSINSKI THROWING UP GOOSE EGGS
Junior Jon Prosinski threw another gem in his most recent start. The ace went eight innings against Villanova, giving up just two earned runs and struck out a career-high 10 batters. The Skillman native has now allowed just five earned runs in his last six starts, a total of 46.2 innings. In that span, his ERA is a miniscule 0.96. He has struck out 36 batters and walked just three.
HALL GROUNDS CARDS IN SERIES WIN
Seton Hall left the Bluegrass State tinted SHU blue after the Pirates invaded Louisville and handed the #19 Cardinals their first series loss of the season. In the opener, the Hall edged UL, 3-2, behind another stellar outing from Jon Prosinski and an impressive offensive display from Dillon Hamlin. After dropping game two, 12-7, Ryan Harvey came on in relief in the finale to once again subdue a high-powered Louisville offense in a 9-4 win. Mike Genovese fueled the offense in the series clincher, going 4-for-5 and knocking in two runs. Louisville entered the series winners of five of their last six, including a 12-0 drubbing of #1 Kentucky just three days earlier.
TAKING NOTICE
Junior Jon Prosinski is opening eyes as he continues to mow down opposing batters. Prosinski racked up two awards after limiting Louisville to two runs, one of them earned, in 6.2 innings on his way to his fifth win of the season in the series opener. The Cards entered the game with the most prolific offensive attack in the BIG EAST. One day after he earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, he was selected as the NJBCA Division I Pitcher of the Week. Prosinski has now appeared on the conference's weekly honor roll three times, and is the second SHU pitcher to be honored by the NJBCA in as many weeks after Brian Gilbert earned the award last week.
RUFFLING FEATHERS
By taking two out of three games at Louisville, the Cardinals lost their first home BIG EAST series since 2009. The Cardinals entered the series as the conference's top hitting team, but were out-hit in the three-game set by Seton Hall, 38-to-28. The Pirates increased their team batting average by nine points as a result of the impressive weekend.
SHU-PERLATIVE PERFORMANCES
Two other Pirates, junior Ryan Harvey and freshman Sal Annunziata, received weekly awards in recognition of their outstanding efforts in Seton Hall's series win at Louisville over the weekend. Harvey was named BIG EAST Player of the Week by College Sports Madness after rebounding from a rocky start in game two to deliver six innings of three-hit ball in relief in the series finale. Annunziata picked up a nod for the College Baseball 360 Primetime Performers Honor Roll after batting .455 against the Cardinals and smacking his first career home run.
BOMB SQUAD
Freshman Sal Annunziata erupted in the three-games against Louisville, batting .455 (5-for-11) and bringing in three runs, and led the team with 13 total bases and a .650 slugging percentage. His weekend exploits were highlighted by his first career round-tripper, a solo shot leading off the sixth inning in game three. Annunziata joins Giuseppe Papaccio and Will Walsh as the only Pirates to clear the fence this season. Papaccio and Walsh each have two home runs on the year.
HAMMERIN' HAMLIN
Sophomore Dillon Hamlin helped the Pirates get off on the right foot in Louisville last weekend, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in a 3-2 series opening win. Despite hitting .226 on the year, Hamlin leads the Pirates with a .333 batting average and has added six RBIs in 12 BIG EAST games this season.
HAVIN' A PARTY, EVERYBODY SWINGIN'
Nine Pirates joined the hit column with five players recording multi-hit games in a 14-hit outburst during 16-7 midweek win over NYIT. Dale Anderson, Sal Annunziata, Mike Genovese and Will Walsh all started the game and knocked two hits while Chase Gray went 2-for-2 after pinch-hitting to lead-off the sixth inning. For Walsh, it was his team-leading 10th multi-hit game of the season. SHU's 16 runs came courtesy of RBIs from 10 different players, led by three each for Annunziata and Genovese.
PENCIL IN PAPACCIO
There has been only one constant in the Pirate lineup this season as Giuseppe Papaccio has started all 41 games at shortstop for SHU. Papaccio leads the team in hits (47), doubles (10) and is tied for the team lead in home runs with two. In the field, the junior also leads the team in assists with 119, the seventh highest total in the BIG EAST. Will Walsh and Mike Genovese are the only other Pirates to have appeared in all 41 contests, making 40 starts.
HOW SWEEP IT IS
The Pirates improved to 5-4 in BIG EAST play last weekend with a three-game sweep of visiting Notre Dame. SHU staged late comebacks and came out on top in extras in each game of a Thursday doubleheader. Against the backdrop of the retirement of Pirate great Craig Biggio's #44 in the series finale, junior Brian Gilbert went the distance on the mound, blanking the Fighting Irish while allowing just four hits in a complete game shutout. It was only the second time in the 16-year history between the schools that Seton Hall has swept Notre Dame and the first since 1997.
GILBERT TOSSES A GEM
Brian Gilbert was named BIG EAST and NJBCA Division I Pitcher of the Week in recognition of his dominant outing against Notre Dame last week. The junior took the ball for the Pirates in the series finale and produced the best outing of his career. It was the first career complete-game and shutout for Gilbert who lowered his ERA by more than a full run.
200 WINS
With A victory in the first game of the Notre Dame series, Rob Sheppard won his 200th career game as a head coach. Sheppard ranks third all-time at Seton Hall in career victories trailing only Owen T. Carroll's 341 wins and his father, Mike Sheppard, who compiled a Hall of Fame career with 998 victories.
P-I-R-A-T-E-S SPELLS RELIEF
The Seton Hall bullpen rose to the task in a big way last week during Thursday's double-dip against Notre Dame. Both contests went to extra innings and six Pirate relievers combined to go nine innings while allowing just two runs and one earned run on the day. George Fernandez, Rick Mangione and Benny Mejia appeared in both games, combining for five scoreless in the nightcap. Mejia was credited with the win in both games, improving to 3-0 on the year after pitching a total of four scoreless innings, striking out a career-high six batters.
PIRATE OFFENSE COMES ALIVE IN MIDWEEK SPLIT
The Seton Hall bats awoke in two midweek games against local rivals Princeton and Wagner. Giuseppe Papaccio and Will Walsh each hit their second home run of the season in a 5-4 defeat at Princeton on Tuesday. Papaccio and Walsh have accounted for all four Pirate long balls this season. Against Wagner, seven different Pirates recorded RBIs including Papaccio, who led the way by going 4-for-4. Ryan Sullivan tripled and notched two RBIs.
NINE'S NOT ENOUGH
With an extra-inning loss vs. Villanova on April 21, Seton Hall has now played bonus baseball in eight contests this season. The Pirates are no stranger to playing double-digit innings, having played nine games that went past regulation last season. SHU is 3-5 in extra-inning games this season and went 6-3 in extras during the 2010-11 regular season, including a 1-0 victory over Louisville in 18 innings on 5/5.
POWER OUTAGE
The Seton Hall pitching staff ranks tops in the conference in home runs allowed, surrendering only 10 round-trippers to this point in the season. From the batter's box, SHU hitters have only deposited six balls in the seats all year. Junior Giuseppe Papaccio and senior Will Walsh have two home runs apiece.
ACE KEEPS PACE
Junior Jon Prosinski went 6.2 innings and gave up just one earned run against Louisville, possessing the top offense in the BIG EAST Conference. His strong performance led to a 3-2 Seton Hall victory and his fifth win of the season.
BIGGIO'S NUMBER RETIRED
Seton Hall officially retired #44 formerly warn by future MLB Hall of Famer Craig Biggio from 1985-87. The ceremony took place on Saturday, April 7 prior to Seton Hall's 2-0 victory over Notre Dame. The former Pirates' catcher helped lead the team to its first BIG EAST Championship in 1987 and batted .342 with 27 home runs and 148 RBIs in his three seasons in South Orange. A two-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection, he was named a First Team All-American in 1987 and was inducted in to the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.
MR. VERSATILITY
Freshman Jose Lopez took the ball to start the seventh inning and turned in an impressive nine-out save to close the book on the Pirates' win at UConn. Lopez has made 15 appearances this season, four as a starter and 11 out of the Pirate 'pen.
HIT PARADE AGAINST HUSKIES
Seton Hall tallied 14 hits in a 10-6 victory over UConn in game two on Friday, March 30. It was the most hits for the Pirates in their last 13 regular season BIG EAST contests. The last time the Pirates knocked 14 hits in a regular season BIG EAST game came in an 18-inning, 1-0 victory over Louisville on May 5, 2011. The Hall belted a season high 19 hits in an 11-4 defeat of Wright State on March 2.
PLAYING HARD TO GET
Opposing offenses have had a hard time finding their way "home" against Seton Hall as SHU pitchers have been stingy from the bump in 2012, amassing a collective 3.65 ERA, the third-best mark in the conference. The Pirates rank third in the BIG EAST in earned runs allowed (154) and fourth in runs (195).
PATIENT PIRATES
The Seton Hall bats have been effectively selective this season, working 160 walks in 2012, fifth most in the BIG EAST Mike Genovese's 22 walks lead the squad. Seven other Pirates have double-digit free passes to their credit.
COME HERE OFTEN?
Right-handed relievers George Fernandez and Benny Mejia have been frequenting the pitcher's mound this season, ranking among the top-five in the BIG EAST in appearances. Fernandez ranks second in the conference with 22 appearances, while Mejia is tied for third with 21. Both are chasing Notre Dame's Joe Spano, who leads the BIG EAST with 23 appearances.
YOU BETZ-YA
Senior Mike Betz delivered a walk-off RBI single, plating Ryan Sullivan in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Pirates to a 4-3 victory over visiting Lafayette on Wednesday. Sullivan was one of three other players to knock in a run for SHU, along with Giuseppe Papaccio and Will Walsh. Greg Terhune allowed only two hits and three base runners, tossing six scoreless innings in his second start of the season.
PHONE A FRIEND
Ten pitchers came out of the Pirate bullpen to contribute to two mid-week victories for SHU. At Rider, Frank Morris entered in the first inning and quelled a brewing stampede from the Broncs, lasting five innings and allowing only two runs. George Fernandez and Benny Mejia combined to close the game for The Hall, with Fernandez earning the win and Mejia the save. Seton Hall used five pitchers over the final half of their 12-inning affair with Lafayette, led by 2.2 innings of scoreless ball from Henry Warner who earned his second win of the season.
SM-HALL BALL
The Pirates have displayed their own brand of fundamental baseball thus far this season when it comes to manufacturing runs. SHU hitters have been picking up the bunt sign and laying it down with runners on, as three Pirates are among the top-seven in the conference in successful sacrifice bunts. Mike Genovese leads the BIG EAST with 15, while Mike Betz is fourth with 10 and Dillon Hamlin is tied for seventh with eight.
THEIVERY
Sophomore Zack Granite now has a team-leading 14 steals on the season. He has already surpassed his team-leading total of 12 from 2011. Granite is 14-for-15 in steal attempts this season, tied for sixth most in the BIG EAST.
STRIKE OUT CANCER CLASSIC SUCCESS
Seton Hall swept its three games in the 2012 Strike Out Cancer Classic. The Pirates shut out Fordham, 5-0, behind the masterful pitching of Jon Prosinski. The right-hander pitched a complete game shutout. Seton Hall came from behind to defeat Maine, 6-4, on Saturday. On Sunday, Jose Lopez pitched six innings of one-hit baseball in a 3-0 victory over NJIT.
PROSINSKI MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
Junior Jon Prosinski was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Strike Out Cancer Classic for pitching nine innings of scoreless baseball in a 5-0 victory over Fordham on March 16. The right-hander also struck out five with no walks.
LOPEZ DOMINATES
Freshman Jose Lopez improved to 2-0 on the young season with a dominating performance over NJIT in the Strike Out Cancer Classic finale. Lopez gave up just one hit in six scoreless innings, while striking out seven and walking just one batter.
SULLIVAN, HARVEY HONORABLE MENTIONS
Ryan Sullivan and Ryan Harvey were named Honorable Mentions for their performances at the 2012 Strike Out Cancer Classic. Sullivan was 5-for-11 with two runs scored, three RBIs and one stolen base, while Harvey pitched four innings of scoreless ball in relief, giving up just one hit and striking out four.
HONOR ROLL FOR PROSINSKI
Junior Jon Prosinski was named to the BIG EAST's Weekly Honor Roll on March 19. The right-handed ace threw a complete-game, shutout while scattering just five hits in Seton Hall's 5-0 victory over Fordham, at Owen T. Carroll Field. Prosinski struck out five batters and didn't issue a single walk in improving to 3-2 on the young season. For his efforts, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Strikeout Cancer Tournament this weekend.
WSOU ANNOUNCES BROADCASTS
89.5 FM WSOU, Seton Hall Pirate Radio, will be the broadcast home all season long for the 2011 BIG EAST Champion Seton Hall Baseball Team. WSOU's broadcasters will be calling 20 games this season over the air and on wsou.net. There will be a combination of home games from Owen T. Carroll Field and select away games, including contests on the road at St. John's, Connecticut, and Princeton. And as always, all the weekly baseball action will be broken down and analyzed every Sunday night on Pirate Primetime starting at 7p.m.
FAMILIAR FACES
When Seton Hall welcomes Fordham to Owen T. Carroll Field this weekend, it'll welcome back Kevin Leighton, who played for Seton Hall from 1998-01. Leighton became Fordham's head coach in the offseason after six seasons as head coach at Manhattan. Earlier this season, Seton Hall welcomed Manhattan, who is currently led by former Pirate coach and player, Jim Duffy.
BONUS BASEBALL
Seton Hall battled Michigan State in a pitcher's duel that remained scoreless for 14 innings. Chase Gray and Mike Betz combined to help the Pirates break through, and SHU tallied three runs in the top of the 15th. MSU responded with a rally in the bottom of the frame, coming back to take a 4-3 victory. Seton Hall is no stranger to goose eggs on the board in extras, having defeated Louisville 1-0 on May 5, 2011 on the strength of an RBI single by Mike Genovese in the home half of the 18th.
"STRIKE OUT" SUCCESS
With three consecutive wins in the 2012 Strike Out Cancer Tournament, Seton Hall improved its all-time record to 14-2 at the event. Hosting the tournament for the fourth time, the Pirates have recorded wins over seven different schools in the tournament's brief history, including this year's participants NJIT (5-0) and Fordham (2-0).
MANGIONE LOVES THE GREAT LAKES STATE
Junior Rick Mangione has excelled in a pair of starts against teams from the State of Michigan this season. He has given up just two earned runs over 11.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and just one walk against Michigan and Michigan State. On Feb. 18, Mangione gave up two earned runs over five innings. Most recently, he shut out Michigan State over 6.1 innings and struck out eight Spartans.
PIRATES OPEN HOME SLATE WITH WIN
Five pitchers combined to throw nine innings of shutout ball as Seton Hall baseball blanked Manhattan, 3-0, in its 2012 home opener on March 7. Senior Henry Warner received the start for Seton Hall, giving up just a pair of hits with three strikeouts over four innings of work to pick up his first win of the year. Mike Genovese, Giuseppe Papaccio and Tyler Boyd all knocked in an RBI for the Pirates.
ACE DELIVERS
Junior Jon Prosinski threw seven strong innings, while giving up just two earned runs in an 11-4 Seton Hall victory over Wright State on March 2. Prosinski improved to 2-1 on the season. He struck out three batters while walking one.
WALSH GOES DEEP
Senior Will Walsh delivered Seton Hall's first home run of the season with a bomb to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning in a 10-8 loss to Wright State on March 4. Walsh is the career active leader for the Pirates with nine home runs. He led the team last year with four long-balls.
BENNY'S BRINGING IT
A major bright spot so far this season has been the pitching of senior Benny Mejia. The right-hander has made 21 appearances and has a miniscule 2.75 ERA. Mejia has pitched 36.0 innings, allowed 11 earned runs, while striking out 31 and walking six.
OPENING DAY WIN
For the second straight year, Seton Hall opened the season with Penn State. Unlike last year, the Pirates opened with a victory. Behind the strong pitching of ace Jon Prosinski, the Seton Hall defeated Penn State, 6-3. Prosinski went six innings and gave up only two earned runs for the win. The Pirates improve to 11-28-1 on opening day dating back to 1973, including a 3-6 mark since 2004 when Rob Sheppard took over as head coach.
GRIMM OUTLOOK FOR OPPONENTS
Freshman Kyle Grimm has appeared in 32 games so far this season and has made 26 starts. The infielder currently leads the team with a .304 batting average.
HALL CALLS FOR RAMOS
George Ramos Curvy, who starred on the diamond for Seton Hall during a historic career in the 1970's, will be the newest member of the baseball family to be inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame. Seton Hall's first African-American All-American, Ramos helped the Pirates advance to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1974 and 1975, and saw the team post a 135-51-2 mark over his four seasons. Ramos earned American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Second-Team All-America honors in 1977, when he was also tabbed as the New Jersey Baseball Writer's Association Player of the Year.
PAPPAS PROMOTED
Mark Pappas, last year's volunteer assistant coach, was promoted to Assistant Coach after Jim Duffy left to take the Manhattan head coaching position. A player for the Pirates from 2005-08, he was a career .290 hitter with 101 runs scored, 92 RBIs, 34 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs. In his senior campaign, he led the team with 41 runs scored, nine doubles, and eight sacrifice flies.
CUNDARI PITCHING COACH OF THE YEAR
Seton Hall's Phil Cundari has been named National Pitching Coach of the Year by the acclaimed college baseball newspaper, Collegiate Baseball. This prestigious award, now in its ninth year, is sponsored by EDGE charting software and web stats. Cundari was instrumental in guiding the pitching staff for last year's BIG EAST Champion squad that led the conference in earned run average and was second in strikeouts, opponent batting average, innings pitched and hits allowed. Seton Hall's ace, Joe DiRocco, was named an ABCA All-American and Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 BIG EAST Championship.
MORE COMPETITION
The BIG EAST Conference has announced the addition of Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Temple as future full members. Among these newcomers, only SMU is without a baseball program. With West Virginia and Pittsburgh leaving, the future BIG EAST Conference for baseball will have 14 members.
SHEPPARD COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Rob Sheppard was named 2011 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year by FieldTurf. Award-winners were named in four categories, including two NCAA Coach of the Year winners, one NCAA Team of the Year winner, and the MLB Team of the Year. This year's winners are:
MLB Team of the Year - St. Louis Cardinals
NCAA Division I Coach of the Year - Rob Sheppard, Seton Hall
NCAA Division II Coach of the Year - Steve Lyon, Grand Valley St.
NCAA Team of the Year - University of Virginia Cavaliers
PIRATES WELCOME 10
The Pirates will welcome 10 new members to the team this season. Sal Annunziata, Tyler Boyd, Chris Carroll, Daniel Ditusa, Anthony Elia, Alex Falconi, Kyle Grimm, Conor Krauss, Jose Lopez and D.J. Ruhlman will all don Seton Hall uniforms for the first time this spring. All are true freshmen.
CUNDARI PROMOTED
Phil Cundari, Seton Hall's long-time Pirates' pitching coach, was promoted to Associate Head Coach this offseason. A Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Famer and long-time assistant coach, Phil Cundari, has served on the Pirates' coaching staff for the last 11 years and has two BIG EAST Championship rings to show for it.
BLACKWELL JOINS STAFF
Jay Blackwell is in his first season as a volunteer assistant coach for Seton Hall. He brings more than 15 years of collegiate coaching experience and joins the Pirate after spending last year as an assistant baseball coach at Kean University. Blackwell received his first head coaching experience at Bloomfield College, where he was the head coach for the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
OWEN T. CARROLL FIELD
Owen T. Carroll Field, named after the legendary Seton Hall head baseball coach, is located on campus and seats 1,800 fans. The facility underwent a 6.5 million dollar renovation in 2006 that included a new Field Turf surface and light stanchions. In June of 2010, the Field Turf surface was upgraded once again.
"HALL" OF A COACHING STAFF
On January 7, 2011 Mike Sheppard, Sr. was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame following a stellar career at the helm of the Seton Hall Pirates baseball team. He held the position from 1973-2003 posting 28 winning seasons and 27 postseason berths including 15 BIG EAST Championships and two College World Series appearances. Eleven months earlier, current pitching coach Phil Cundari was elected into Seton Hall University's Hall of Fame as a pitcher. Cundari pitched for Sheppard's 1983-85 squads and began his coaching career during Sheppard's reign. Cundari enters his 13th season tutoring the pitching staff, while Sheppard remains a big part of the program as the head coach emeritus.
FOR A TEAMMATE
For the third straight season, the Pirates baseball team will honor David Bachner, a 2009 in-coming freshman who passed away on August 11, 2009, by hanging a t-shirt with his name and high school number in the dugout each game.
BASEBALL GOING RETRO
In the 1980's, the Seton Hall Pirates wore a light blue and black horizontal striped jersey. Last season, the Pirates brought them back by wearing them throughout the 2011 season. With Seton Hall winning the BIG EAST Tournament last season, you'll certainly see the retro uniforms again in 2012.
STRIKE OUT CANCER
March 16-18 will mark the fourth annual Strike Out Cancer Tournament hosted by Seton Hall. Each season, the Pirates have teamed up with American Cancer Society to host the four-team tournament and have raised over $2,500 each year through donations and merchandise sales.
FRIENDS OF JACLYN
This season, the Pirates will once again welcome Connor Mackay to their squad through the "Friends of Jaclyn" Organization. FOJ is a non-profit organization that connects children struggling with brain tumors with an NCAA team. Throughout the year, the team provides support and encouragement to the child and their family.
