Eagles Take on Red Sox for 27th Time

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College baseball team travels to Fort Myers, Fla., to take on the Boston Red Sox in a seven-inning exhibition game at JetBlue Park Fenway South. The contest will start after the conclusion of Northeastern's exhibition game which begins at 1:05 p.m. It will be television on NESN and Fox 25 Boston.

It marks the 27^th meeting between the collegiate and professional team. The two teams played in 1916 and 1933 before starting an annual series in 1993. The Sox and Eagles have played every year since, except in 2017 when a scheduling conflict prohibited the matchup. BC and Northeastern played the first game against the Red Sox in JetBlue Park in 2012.

The Red Sox have won all 26 previous matchups. The Eagles came within one run four times: 1997 (4-3), 1999 (4-3), 2002 (2-1) and 2015 (1-0). In the last meeting in 2016, BC lost, 6-0. Senior Anthony Maselli is the only current Eagle who recorded a hit off the Sox, while right-handers senior Brian Rapp and junior Jack Nelson struck out Red Sox hitters.

After the exhibition game, BC will take on three Big Ten teams at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla., taking on Minnesota, Indiana and Rutgers.

BC-SOX CONNECTIONS

Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley deemed the annual meeting with the Red Sox the "Gambino Invitational," because BC head coach Mike Gambino has played and coached for both sides in the game. After playing for Eagles from 1997-2000, he played two seasons in the Red Sox minor league system, playing in the exhibition game against his former collegiate team. In 2002, he headed to the Lowell Spinners for a coaching role just prior to the June draft, where he coached on the Sox side. As a three-year assistant coach to former BC skipper Pete Hughes and in his eighth year at the helm of the current Eagles' program, Gambino will have coached the Maroon and Gold 10 times.
Two-way Eagle Steve Langone (1997-2000) is currently the advance scouting manager. While at BC, he set the career wins (24), career complete games (22) and single-season ERA (1.54) records, which still stand today. He is also fifth in the record books for career batting average (.356), third in both slugging percentage (.616) and home runs (30).
Former Boston College baseball and hockey player Joe Morgan '53, who was honored at the 2015 Baseball Night in Boston held at Fenway Park, managed the Pawtucket Red Sox (1974-82) and the Boston Red Sox (1988).
Former BC player and coach Eddie Pellagrini, which the Eagles' old diamond at Shea Field in Chestnut Hill was named for, played for his hometown Red Sox in 1946 and 1947. He coached Boston College for 30 years, from 1958 to 1988, and took the Eagles to two College World Series (1960, 61).
Former BC captain Nick Sciortino (2014-16) was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 17th round in 2016. The catcher is batting .220 in two years with Lowell and Greenville. He also has a .350 caught-stealing percentage.
Sophomore Dante Baldelli also has a connection to the Red Sox: his older brother Rocco. The former center fielder played for the Sox 2009 and is now the first base coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. The youngest Baldelli is following in his brother's footsteps, roaming centerfield for the Eagles.
Other Eagles who have played for the Red Sox include Freddie Moncewicz (1922-28), John Shea (1923-28), Pat Creeden (1925-30), Jud McLaughlin (1930-31), Ed Gallagher (1929-32), Andy Spognardi (1929-32) and Brian Looney (1989-91).

BIRDBALL RETURNS TO THE SNOWBIRD

For the fifth straight year, BC will play in the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. The Eagles are 14-6 in the tournament.
This year, the Eagles will battle three Big Ten teams: Minnesota, Indiana and Rutgers.
BC will go with the same weekend rotation used the first weekend of the season. Junior RHP Jacob Stevens will pitch on Friday, junior LHP Dan Metzdorf on Saturday and senior RHP Brian Rapp on Sunday.
The game against the Gophers will be the first-ever between the two squads.
The Eagles are 3-2 all-time against Indiana but the two teams have not met since 2011, when BC came away with a 6-1 win in Myrtle Beach, S.C. All five meetings have come on neutral territory.
BC has won seven of the 23 all-time meeting against Rutgers. The two teams last met in 2005 when both teams were in the Big East Conference.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES

The Eagles are coming off a 2-1 weekend at Santa Clara.
Junior RHP Jacob Stevens threw five scoreless innings in his first start of 2018. He allowed just four hits, one walk and striking out eight in the Eagles' first victory on Feb. 16. Stevens' career ERA is .377, ninth in BC record books.
Senior RHP Brian Rapp turned in one of his best starts of his career to start the season. He threw six no-hit innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts on Feb. 18. He walked just one and hit one batter for the only two base runners of his outing. The performance earned him ACC Pitcher of the Week.
Junior RHP Thomas Lane tallied his first career save in the rubber match at Santa Clara on Feb. 18. He came in with the bases loaded and one out in a 3-1 game and forced two quick outs get BC out of a jam. He then went on to pitch a perfect ninth. In 4.2 innings of relief, Lane has struck out three and allowed just one walk.
Junior Jake Alu recorded a hit in 19 of the final 22 games of last season and logged a career-long, nine-game hit streak. He hit his first career home run in the second game of the series at Santa Clara on Feb. 17.
Sophomore Brian Dempsey hit his stride in the second half of the 2017 season. He logged at least one hit in 14 of the final 20 games he played, including a career-long, six-game hit streak. He picked up where he left off, recording at least one hit in every game over opening weekend - the only BC player to do so.
Sophomore Dante Baldelli is leading the Eagles after the first three games with a .462 batting clip and a .533 on-base percentage. He has six hits, including a double, four RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. He also made nine catches in centerfield.

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Players Mentioned

Jake Alu

Dante Baldelli

Brian Dempsey

Thomas Lane

Anthony Maselli

Dan Metzdorf

Jack Nelson

Brian Rapp

Nick Sciortino

Jacob Stevens