YORK, Pa. – No. 3 Arcadia baseball (31-15) is scheduled to take on No. 1 Rowan (34-10) Saturday morning at 10 a.m. from PEOPLEsBank Park in York, Pa. The Knights took down No. 7 Catholic, 13-2, Friday afternoon.
In the win Friday, junior
Joel Bartoni pitched an absolute gem for the Knights, going nine innings, striking out four. At the plate, the Scarlet and Grey pumped out 10 runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run jack by junior
Bryan Gillen. Junior
Phil Pierfy and sophomore
Tyler Wisnewski also picked up two RBIs apiece in the inning.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP:
The Knights and Profs have gone head-to-head five times, dating back to their first matchup in 2004, when they met in the NCAA Regionals in Boyertown, Pa. The Profs took the game, 3-2, however the Knights own the teams' most recent game, when Arcadia beat then No. 25 Rowan, 10-5, in eight innings back on March 6, 2018. Overall, the Profs lead the series, 4-1.
In terms of head-to-head statistics, Arcadia leads in almost every major category. Full head-to-head statistics are below.
| Category |
Arcadia |
Rowan |
| Average |
.336 |
.308 |
| Runs |
383 |
302 |
| Hits |
530 |
480 |
| Doubles |
95 |
92 |
| Triples |
15 |
17 |
| HRs |
28 |
17 |
| RBIs |
336 |
270 |
| Slug % |
.468 |
.422 |
| Walks |
175 |
163 |
| Strikeouts |
219 |
268 |
| OB% |
.419 |
.383 |
| SBs |
87 |
59 |
| Field % |
.954 |
.958 |
| ERA |
5.41 |
2.78 |
A LOOK AT ARCADIA:
Arcadia is led by a conference high, six league all-stars, including the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year, Gillen. Gillen has been a consistent leadoff hitter for the Knights, posting a team high .436 batting average, with 78 hits and 63 runs scored entering the NCAA Regional. During the conference tournament, the South Plainfield, N.J. native was named the Tournament MVP, hitting over .500.
Joining Gillen in the lineup are four First Teamers in Pierfy, senior DH
Nick Cardace, and junior OF
Sean Carew, with one Second Teamer in junior infielder
Nick Ponente. All are boasting a .300 average or better, with Pierfy, Carew, and Cardace all above .385. As a team, the Knights are hitting .338 as they enter the NCAA Regional.
On the mound, Arcadia features a rotation of all right-handed pitchers, led by senior
Jake Lloyd. Joining Lloyd are Bartoni and sophomores
Jeremy Sabathne and
Andrew Scholz. Collectively, the group has a 13-8 record, including 103 strikeouts over 173.2 innings.
In relief, the Scarlet and Grey have a steady crew out of the pen, highlighted by a First Team All-MAC Commonwealth selection in senior
Mike Boulanger. Over the season, Boulanger (6-1) has picked up three saves, striking out 45 batters in his 53.1 innings pitched. Joining Boulanger, will be a plethora of pitchers, including senior closer
Connor Laigaie, sophomores
Mitch Blake,
Robert Lichtenberger,
Tyler Showers and more.
As a staff, Arcadia leads the conference in wins, innings pitched, and saves while sitting in the top five in strikeouts, batting average against, ERA, and shutouts.
A LOOK AT ROWAN:
Rowan comes into the NCAA Regionals as the number one seed and NJAC Champions. The Profs took a league high seven all-conference players, including one first team, three second team, and three honorable mention.
Collectively, the offense is hitting .308 on the season. The Profs rely heavily on their pitching staff. The staff hold an impressive 2.08 ERA and .216 batting average against.
TOURNAMENT INFO:
Admission will only be available at the gate. Prices are per day. CASH payment only.
Adults $8
Students $5
Children Under 6 years old Free
Directions
Parking (Lot 9 is for fans)
Spectator Hotels
Official NCAA championship merchandise is available on site. Cash or credit payment only.
