Friday, February 17
Daytona Beach, Fla.
6:00 PM
Boston College
at
Bethune-Cookman
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Weekend Preview: Eagles Open 2017 in Daytona Beach
February 16, 2017 | Baseball
The Eagles start the season at Bethune-Cookman
THE FACTS
MATCHUP: Boston College (0-0) at Bethune-Cookman (0-0)
WHERE: Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 19 at noon
RECORD vs. BCU: BC leads the all-time series, 3-1
HOW TO FOLLOW
@BCBirdball
Live Stats
THE MATCHUP
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Jacob Stevens vs. RHP Tyler Norris
Saturday: RHP Brian Rapp vs. LHP Donté Lindsay
Sunday: LHP Dan Metzdorf vs. RHP Anthony Maldonado
Scouting the Wildcats
THE SERIES
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES
MATCHUP: Boston College (0-0) at Bethune-Cookman (0-0)
WHERE: Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 19 at noon
RECORD vs. BCU: BC leads the all-time series, 3-1
HOW TO FOLLOW
@BCBirdball
Live Stats
THE MATCHUP
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Jacob Stevens vs. RHP Tyler Norris
Saturday: RHP Brian Rapp vs. LHP Donté Lindsay
Sunday: LHP Dan Metzdorf vs. RHP Anthony Maldonado
Scouting the Wildcats
- The Wildcats are coming off their 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning their 18th Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title. They were eliminated in two games from the Gainesville Regional, falling to overall No. 1 seed Florida and Georgia Tech.
- Friday night starter RHP Tyler Norris returns after compiling a 6-4 record a year ago with a 4.52 ERA, 71 strikeouts and a .252 opponent batting average. He earned All-MEAC Second-Team honors in 2016 as a weekend starter.
- Saturday's starter, LHP Donté Lindsay, went 4-3 in 2016, with a 5.80 ERA and 36 Ks in 16 appearances, making nine starts. He moved from a weekday starter to the weekend rotation during the 2016 season.
- On Sunday, RHP Anthony Maldonado will make his debut as a freshman.
- LHP Joseph Calamita led the pitching staff with three saves and the best ERA (2.36) on the staff. He was second on the team with 25 appearances.
- The Wildcats lost their top three hitters from 2016 due to graduation and the draft (junior Michael Cruz was taken in the seventh round by the Chicago Cubs). First baseman Danny Rodriguez returns as BCU's most productive at the plate, recording a .309 average with 69 hits, including 10 doubles and 10 home runs, a team-leading 46 RBIs and 32 strikeouts.
- Shortstop Demetrius Sims stole 14 of 17 bases a season ago, the second most on the team. He recorded a .288 batting average with 22 RBIs, 60 hits and 18 walks.
THE SERIES
- It will be the fifth time BC squares off against Bethune-Cookman and the second time under seventh-year head coach Mike Gambino. The Eagles swept two games in Daytona Beach in 2011 with 13-12 and 6-4 victories.
- BC's lone loss came in the first-ever matchup by way of an 8-2 setback in Orlando, Fla.
- The Wildcats are one of the 10 teams the Eagles will face who made the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
- It will be first time under Gambino the Eagles will start the season in the Sunshine State.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES
- The Eagles look to build on the success of last year in 2017, returning five positional starters and 11 arms from the team that took the program to new heights in 2016, with the second-most wins in school history (35), the best start ever (8-0) and the team's first-ever Super Regional appearance.
- Sophomore RHP Jacob Stevens returns to his Friday slot, one he occupied for much of the 2016 season, garnering Freshman All-America second-team, ACC All-Freshman Team and NEIBA Rookie of the Year honors. His 2.54 ERA was ninth on BC's single-season records list.
- Junior RHP Brian Rapp will get the nod on Saturday. He is looking to make the transition to starter after making 20 appearances last year, 19 out of the pen. He recorded a 5.67 ERA with a 3-2 record and 39 strikeouts over 27 innings.
- Sophomore LHP Dan Metzdorf will make just his second career start on Sunday. He appeared 17 times in 2016, mostly in a lefty specialist role. He notched an 8.00 ERA with eight Ks over nine innings.
- Juniors right-handers Bobby Skogsbergh and Donovan Casey (also the Eagles' right fielder) will close games for BC. The two recorded the lowest ERAs on staff in 2016 while Skogsbergh led the pen with 24 appearances and had four saves.
- The Eagles top three hitters from a season ago all return, led by junior Scott Braren, who recorded a .333 batting average. He will see time as the designated hitter and in the outfield.
- Senior Michael Strem was second on the team with a .301 batting average, led the Eagles with 66 hits and was second with 13 doubles. He will be a mainstay in center, but could also play first base. His 57 career doubles is tied for sixth in BC record books.
- Senior Johnny Adams will start at shortstop for the fourth start season. A .284 hitter last year, he led the team with 17 doubles and earned the Oxford Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
- Leading off at the top of the Eagles' lineup will be junior Jake Palomaki, who ranks sixth in BC record books with a .421 career on-base percentage and is tied for ninth with 88 career walks. He finished last season reaching base in 49 of the Eagles' 57 games.
- Juniors Donovan Casey and Braren both ended last season with hits in the last three games while seniors Strem and Chris Balogh reached base safely in their last four games.
- The 2017 season opener will be the first game since May 4, 2016 that Nick Sciortino has not started behind the plate for the Eagles. He caught the final 16 games. Sophomore Gian Martellini started at Northeastern that game and recorded a sac fly and a walk in the win. Martellini played in 38 games as a freshman, making 27 starts - 24 as the designated hitter and three behind the dish. Sciortino started 122 games at catcher in his three years at The Heights, 73.5 percent of the Eagles' contests from 2014-16.
Players Mentioned
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