ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team will begin its postseason quest this weekend as the Bombers travel to RPI to play in the Liberty League Crossover Series. The first game of the series starts at 3 p.m. Friday and resumes on Saturday at 12 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it will be played 30 minutes after the completion of Game 2.
Although the Liberty League Crossover Series counts as games played for the regular season, the winners of the four series make up the Liberty League Championship, which will be held May 7-9. The other Crossover Series this weekend are: RIT vs. Vassar, Hobart vs. Bard and Union vs. St. Lawrence.
Ithaca is 20-13 this season and finished fourth in the West Division, while RPI is 21-14 and won the East Division.
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The Bombers bring the top Liberty League offense into the series with a .330 average, 375 hits, 548 total bases and 177 walks. IC also ranks second in runs scored (298) and RBI (265). RPI counters with the best pitching staff with a 4.60 ERA and is the only team to surpass 300 innings pitched this. The Engineers also rank second runs allowed (183) and opponent batting average (.253).
IC will be led offensively by
Ethan Fantel, who ranks among the nation's best in numerous categories. Fantel is second in the country in on-base percentage (.599), 10th in walks per game (1.06) and RBI per game (1.70), 13th in batting average (.466), 15th in RBI (56) and 22nd in walks (35).
Matt Curtis has been on a tear recently and has raised his average nearly 50 points over the last five games. Curtis ranks eighth in Division III in doubles per game and 18th in total doubles with 17.
Sheldon Jay Walker III has been the catalyst to the offense all season and has scored 50 runs on the year, which is 18th in the per game category at 1.52.
Lucas Orlovitz has missed some time this season, but ranks second on the team with a .410 average, to go along with 33 runs and 24 RBI.
Pitching wise, IC will turn to
Danny Drotos,
Jack Picozzi and
Reed Bailey as its starting rotation. Drotos is 5-1 on the season with a 4.71 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 36.1 innings pitched, while Picozzi owns a 4.75 ERA with a 4-2 record and 44 strikeouts in 41.2 innings of work. Bailey has made eight starts on the season and has thrown a team-high 42.2 innings.
The Bombers will turn to
Cooper Albert and
Luke Zelinko, along with others, out of the bullpen. Albert has the lowest ERA on the team at 3.50 and opponent's batting average at .222 in 18.0 innings, while Zelinko has seven saves with 22 strikeouts in 14 appearances.
For RPI, Michael Lebenson is the player to watch with 16 doubles, eight home runs and 30 RBI on the season. Walker Abdallah leads the team in average (.352), runs (41), hits (45), walks (21) and stolen bases (20). Ben Belliss is tops on the team with 34 RBI, while Charlie Morse has swiped 19 bases, to go along with a .337 average.
The Engineers' starting rotation is led by Liam Riordan (4.79 ERA, 4-1, 47.0 IP, 41 K) and Garret Gates (4.08 ERA, 4-3, 46.1 IP, 34 K). Belliss or Mike Nelson could serve as the third starter if needed.
RPI has a deep bullpen with four arms appearing in more than 15 games, including three of those in more than 18. Andrew Gaughan and Sam Ferrier have each pitched in 20 contests this season and have combined for 49.2 innings pitched and 56 strikeouts, while Zac Zajc has made 18 appearances with six saves in 19.0 innings.
