Boston College Athletics
Baseball Hosts No. 13 Virginia This Weekend
April 16, 2009 | Baseball
April 16, 2009
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College baseball team will take on No. 13 Virginia this weekend in a three-game ACC series beginning on Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH UPS (BC listed first)
Friday: RHP JB MacDonald (4-3, 2.70) vs. LHP Danny Hultzen (5-0, 2.39)
Saturday: RHP John Leonard (1-1, 6.88) vs. RHP Andrew Carraway (4-0, 2.98)
Sunday: LHP Pat Dean (4-2, 3.67) vs. RHP Robert Morey (0-0, 3.63)
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: Sunny with a high near 70 degrees, west wind between 8-17 MPH
Saturday: Partly cloudy with a high near 62 degrees, NW wind between 6-11 MPH
Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high near 50 degrees
EAGLES HOST NO. 13 VIRGINIA FOR THREE
• Boston College enters the weekend in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division and hosts No. 13 Virginia for a three-game series.
• Virginia is currently in third place in the Coastal Division behind Georgia Tech and Miami.
• The Eagles are coming off of a 1-1 record in its midweek games after beating Wake Forest two out of three games last weekend.
• The Cavaliers took all three games from BC in Charlottesville last year but one game was decided by a single run and the finale by two.
A TASTE OF THE TOP
• For the first time since joining the ACC, the Eagles found themselves atop the Atlantic Division standings on a weekend other than the opening one of conference play.
• Entering the final game of the series at Wake Forest on April 12, BC stood atop of its division with a record of 9-6.
• The only other time an Eagle team saw itself in first place in the Atlantic was in 2007 after sweeping Duke in three games to start out the conference season.
20 wins mark
• BC reached 20 wins with its 10-0 shutout of Rhode Island on Wednesday, April 8.
• In 2008, the Eagles didn't reach the 20-win mark until April 22.
• It took until May 2, 2007 for that year's team to reach 20 triumphs.
• In the previous 10 seasons, the earliest a Boston College team has reached 20 wins is April 9 which came in 2005.
POWER SURGE
• Boston College has hit 23 of its 38 home runs this season in the last 15 games.
• In seven of the 15 games, the Eagles hit more than one bomb which had happened just three times in the first 21 outings.
• BC has 14 round-trippers in its first nine home games. In all of 2008, the Eagles hit just eight out of Shea Field in 21 games.
• BC's 38 home runs this year is already more than they hit in the entire seasons of 2007, 2006 and 2005. The Eagles hit 43 homers all of last year.
• Juniors Mike Belfiore and Tony Sanchez have almost single-handedly led the charge.
• Belfiore hit five of his nine home runs in a four-game span from March 27-31, including consecutive two home run games against Clemson.
• Sanchez hit seven homers in an eight-game span from March 27 to April 5 and has 12 this year.
EARLY BIRDS
• The Eagles have made a habit of getting ahead early in the ball game this year.
• BC has scored first in 27 of its 36 games this season and has scored in the first inning 19 times.
• A run crossed the plate in the opening frame in five-straight games from February 22 to March 3.
• The Eagles have scored three or more runs in nine of the 18 times they have scored in the first inning.
• BC is outscoring opponents 52-26 in the first inning this year.
• Boston College is 20-7 when it crosses the plate first.
CLUTCH HITTING
• BC has driven in 99 RBI with two outs so far this season. Junior Mike Belfiore has 26 of those RBI - he has 47 total on the year.
• Sophomore Mickey Wiswall has 14 two-out RBI which is second on the team and freshman Brad Zapenas has 12.
• A total of 39 percent of the RBI that BC has recorded has come with two outs.
SMALL BALL
• BC has forced the action this season with sacrifices and stolen bases.
• The Eagles have a total of 50 sacrifice hits this year which leads the ACC and is third in the nation. On the other hand, their opponents have recorded just 14.
• Eleven different players have successfully moved runners along.
• The Eagles are also 23-for-45 when attempting to steal this season.
• Junior Robbie Anston leads the team with eight stolen bases on 10 attempts.
• Eight other players have stolen one bag.
MacDONALD OFF TO SOLID START
• Senior captain JB MacDonald has been strong in his eight outings this season.
• He started the season-opener at Stetson on February 20 but got a no decision. He went 5.2 innings and allowed one run on four hits. He struck out four.
• The Danvers, Mass., native then shut down USF over the course of 7.1 innings and got his first win of the season.
• He allowed just one unearned run and gave up three hits. He struck out eight while walking just one.
• MacDonald opened the series at No. 6 Florida State and tossed 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out seven.
• At No. 6 Georgia Tech on March 13, he threw 7.0 innings and allowed five hits and five runs but only two of them were earned. He struck out six in his outing and retired 15 of the first 18 batters he faced.
• MacDonald picked up his second win of the season at Maryland on March 20, throwing 7.2 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven on the evening.
• For the season, MacDonald has a 2.70 ERA. Through 56.2 innings, he has allowed 42 hits and 21 runs - 17 earned - and has 46 Ks to 20 walks.
MACDONALD NEARLY TOSSES NO-NO
• Senior JB MacDonald dominated Wake Forest from the mound and threw 8.0 innings of no-hit baseball in the first game of a doubleheader on April 11, leading Boston College to a 23-2 win.
• MacDonald had faced the minimum numbers of batters from the second inning on, but Austin Stadler broke up the no-hitter with a double down the right field line to leadoff the ninth. Wake Forest would eventually score their only two runs of the game in the inning.
• MacDonald only allowed five base runners in the game and three of them came in the ninth inning. Four reached second base in the game with three of them coming in the last at-bats. MacDonald's final line through his 9.0 innings was two runs on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
SANCHEZ SHINES BEHIND THE PLATE
• Junior Tony Sanchez had a stellar sophomore season behind the plate in 2008 and has started this season the same way.
• Baseball America listed Sanchez as the No. 48 prospect for the class of 2009 and as the No. 42 junior prospect in the country. The publication also predicted he would be the top catcher in the ACC.
• He was named a member of the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for the second-straight season and is also a member of the Johnny Bench Award Watch List.
• Entering the weekend, Sanchez ranked 10th in the ACC in batting (.387), third in slugging (.730), 10th in on-base percentage (.479), third in runs (35), 10th in hits (53), first in homers (12) and fourth in total bases (100).
SANCHEZ NAMED MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN
• Junior catcher Tony Sanchez was named to the Baseball America Midseason All-American Team on April 10.
• He was one of four ACC players on the list.
• Sanchez is also a two-time ACC Player of the Week - the only player in the conference to earn that honor twice this year.
LEADING OFF
• Junior Robbie Anston has been invaluable as a leadoff man this year.
• The Odessa, Fla., product has reached base on 50 of 74 opportunities leading off an inning. That is a .541 average.
• Entering the weekend, Anston ranked 11th in the ACC in batting (.381), sixth in runs (38), fifth in hits (56), sixth in doubles (14) and fourth in triples (3).
BELFIORE BIG ON BOTH SIDES
• Junior Mike Belfiore has come up big for the Eagles both in the box and on the mound.
• The Commack, N.Y., product has driven in 47 RBI this season and 26 of them have come with two outs in the inning.
• On the mound as the Eagles' closer, Belfiore has picked up seven saves already this season which is third in the ACC. He had eight in all of 2008.
• In the preseason, he was one of 40 players to be named to the watch list for the fifth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
• Belfiore picked up his first win of the season at Northeastern on March 17. He worked a career-high 3.2 innings of two-hit baseball and struck out seven of the 11 outs he recorded which was also a personal best.
• Belfiore has a 2.78 ERA. He has thrown 22.2 innings and allowed seven runs on 22 hits. He has struck out 31 and walked seven.
RESERVATION FOR THREE, BUTERA
• Junior RF Barry Butera has become somewhat of a triples machine.
• The Covington, La., product has knocked three triples already this season - two in consecutive games against Towson (February 28) and Samford (March 1).
• That number ranks fourth in the conference.
• Last season, he led the Eagles with three triples.
DEAN DOMINANT AS OF LATE
• Sophomore RHP Pat Dean earned a spot on the weekend rotation and made his first start in an ACC series since the opening weekend at Florida State when he did it last Sunday at Wake Forest.
• Each of his last five outings on the mound have been quality starts. He has thrown 26.0 innings in those starts and has allowed just four earned runs.
• Even more impressive is his strikeout to walk ratio during that span. He has fanned 29 batters in those five starts and walked just three.
• For the season, Dean has a 3.67 ERA and a 4-2 record. He has struck out 52 and walked just nine batters.
A MORAN-IMAL ON THE MOUND
• Sophomore RHP Kevin Moran has come on strong as of late from the bullpen.
• The Yarmouthport native leads the team with a 2.25 ERA and has a record of 3-2.
• He has allowed just seven earned runs in 28.0 innings of work and has struck out 19.
• Moran has allowed an earned run in just four of his 14 appearances this year.
• In his last 22.1 innings, he has allowed just two earned runs.
YUK'IN IT UP
• Sophomore LHP Nate Bayuk has come out of nowhere to become a key component of the Boston College bullpen this season.
• The Foxboro, Mass., native has the second-most appearances this year with 19. He has thrown a total of 8.2 innings and has allowed three runs on nine hits.
• In his first four appearances, none of the six runners he inherited scored. For the season, he has allowed six of 23 inherited runners to score.
• He has struck out nine and walked four on the year.
A COMEBACK FOR THE AGES
• Boston College faced a 10-2 deficit in the fifth inning but scored nine unanswered runs - capped by a solo homer from junior Tony Sanchez in the eighth - to come back and stun NC State, 11-10, April 5 at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.
• Down 10-9 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, sophomore Matt Hamlet chopped a grounder to the third baseman who threw it way over the first baseman's head, allowing Hamlet to get to second. The next pitch was a wild one and went all the way to the backstop. The catcher couldn't find it, though, and Hamlet scored all the way from second to tie the game.
• Then during the same at-bat, Sanchez blasted a home run on a full count to center give BC the dramatic game-winning run.
• Sanchez went 2-for-4 in the game with the game-winning homer and another RBI. He also scored two runs. Junior Barry Butera went 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple, three RBI and two runs. Sophomore Garret Smith drove in three runs and had a double.
• Junior Mike Belfiore picked up his second win of the week after throwing 2.0 innings and allowing two hits while striking out three.
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
• The BC offense had been playing well through the first six games of the season, but the Eagles came alive in the last two games of the FGCU Classic in Fort Myers.
• Boston College scored a total of 35 runs, had 45 hits, seven doubles, two triples and three homers in a 17-16 loss to Towson - its first loss of the season - and a 19-13 win vs. Samford.
• The Eagles had two innings when they scored six runs and one when they scored seven.
• BC's 19 runs were the most since they beat Harvard 24-6 on April 15, 2003.
• It was also the most runs by an Eagle team in a two-game span since April 29-30, 2000 when BC beat Georgetown 21-5 and 16-3.
• Sophomore Mickey Wiswall exploded in the two games and had a .727 batting average - getting eight hits on 11 at-bats. Two of those knocks were doubles.
• Sophomore Mike Sudol recorded a slugging percentage of 1.143 as he had a home run and a double on 4 of 7 batting.
• In total, nine BC players hit .400 or better with seven hitting a .500 clip or better.
• As a team, the Eagles hit .484 in the two games.
SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
• Boston College started the season with five-straight road wins.
• The Eagles swept a four-game series at Stetson then won their first game of a two-game set at Florida Gulf Coast.
• It was the first time since the opening of the 2006 season that BC won five-straight on the road.
• As the designated visiting team (including neutral site games), Boston College is 17-8.
DEAN EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
• Sophomore LHP Pat Dean was recognized as one of Recruiting Closer's Pitchers of the Week on February 23.
• Dean tossed a complete game, four-hit shutout in just his second-career start at Stetson on February 21.
• He struck out eight and walked just one, throwing a total of 103 pitches - 77 strikes.
• Dean retired 15 of the last 16 batters in the game including 10 in a row at one point.
• He was one of four pitchers in the nation that threw complete game shutouts in the opening weekend.
DENNHARDT SHINES IN BC DEBUT
• Freshman RHP Mike Dennhardt made his collegiate debut against Stetson on February 22 and he impressed.
• After allowing two runs in the first inning, he settled in and dominated the next five.
• He retired nine in a row at one point and 16 out of 17. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks.
• Dennhardt is listed as he No. 5 top newcomer to the ACC according to Baseball America.
• He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 17th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft.
• He earned All-State first-team honors as senior pitcher at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey and was a two-time All-North Jersey first-team selection.
• Dennhardt served as team captain as a senior for the 33-0 state champions and had a 10-0 record on the mound, finishing with a 0.56 ERA.
2009 Captains
• Fifth-year senior C Harry Darling and senior RHP JB MacDonald will serve as the captains for BC during the 2009 season.
• Darling, a catcher who was also captain in 2008, played in 26 games and started 14 last year. He batted .244 on the year.
• MacDonald has more experience on the mound than anyone else. He started 11 games last year and went 4-7 with a 7.64 ERA.
• He is the Eagles No. 1 starter on the mound and he is 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA. He has allowed 42 hits and 17 earned runs in 56.2 innings of work, striking out 46 and walking 20.
BC SHOCKS FLORIDA STATE IN TALLAHASSEE
• After losing to No. 6 Florida State in the series opener, 4-1, behind a strong outing from Sean Gilmartin, the BC offense exploded and the Eagles took the next two games of the series.
• The Eagles are the first team to ever defeat Florida State in an ACC opening series.
• Since 1992, Florida State had been 43-5 in games during the conference's opening weekend before the Eagles took two of three from them.
• The Seminoles had swept their opening ACC series in six-straight years. FSU had not even lost a game in an ACC opening series since 2002 and hadn't faltered at home since 1997.
• BC also did it at Dick Howser Stadium, one of the toughest places to play in the country. Entering the series, the Seminoles had a winning percentage of .835 (829-163-1) all-time in their home park.
• It was the most runs allowed by Florida State in a two-game losing stretch since 1992.
• BC was 0-9 all-time against the Seminoles entering the weekend.
HOME SWEET HOME
• BC traveled a total of 9,095 miles prior to its first home game this weekend.
• That number is almost equivalent to traveling from campus in Chestnut Hill to the Italian region of Sicily and back.
• It is about a 1,000 miles less than a trip to the western portion of Australia and about 400 miles short of Indonesia.
• After the Eagles swept the four-game series at Stetson, they returned to BC for class on February 23-24 before leaving for Fort Myers the afternoon of the 24th.
• BC played seven games in Fort Myers including an exhibition with the Boston Red Sox. The Eagles went 4-2 during their trip down south to improve to 8-2 on the year.
• The Eagles then went north to Tallahassee and took two of three from No. 6 Florida State at Dick Howser Stadium. BC became the first team to ever win an ACC opening weekend series vs. the Seminoles.
• BC lost its only game at No. 6 Georgia Tech two weeks ago - the other two games were rained out - and then took two of three at Maryland.
• Boston College finished its extended road trip with a 14-7 record and went 4-3 in the ACC.
EAGLES FALL TO RED SOX
• Boston College was leading the Boston Red Sox after four and a half innings (of a seven inning game), but the Red Sox scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth and eventually won, 7-1, in front of 5,707 at Boston's spring training facility, City of Palms Park on February 25.
• Junior Mike Belfiore went 2-for-2 in the game and drove in the Eagles' only run.
• BC's pitching staff shined in the first half of the game, allowing just one hit through the first four innings. Sophomore Geoff Oxley got the start and walked a batter. Senior Matt O'Brien pitched the second inning and allowed a hit, sophomore Dane Clemens threw a perfect third and freshman Tim O'Keefe issued a walk before inducing George Kottaras into a 4-3 double play in the fourth.
• Freshman Rob Moir, senior Mike Augustine and junior Tony Sanchez recorded the other hits for the Eagles.
• Prior to the game, the Eagles gathered around the cage during the Red Sox batting practice to watch stars such as David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek at work. BC student-athletes got to interact with, take pictures and get autographs from players of the seven-time World Series champs.
• Senior Harry Darling was the first Eagle to get on base when he forced a walk in the top of the fourth off Kris Johnson and Augustine notched the first hit when he took a 1-2 pitch through the left side to put runners on first and second. Junior John Spatola drove a ball to left that Baldelli caught on the warning track, and then Belfiore snuck one inside the right field line for a single to drive home the first run of the game.
MARTINEZ PICKS UP WIN IN SEASON-OPENER WITH GIANTS
• Former Boston College pitcher Joe Martinez not only worked his way to a spot in the San Francisco Giants' bullpen, but he picked up his first Major League win in the Giant's Opening Day game on April 7.
• He worked 2.0 innings to pick up the victory.
• In addition, Martinez earned the club's Harry S. Jordan Award for his efforts during Spring Training.
• Martinez, who was competing for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation, earned his spot with the Giants in the spring, recording a 1.72 ERA in his last five games.
• The Giants' Jordan Award, which is voted on by players, coaches and the training staff, recognizes the player in his first Major League camp whose performance and dedication in Spring Training best exemplifies the franchise's spirit.
• Martinez had an ERA of 3.57 in seven games - five starts - in the Cactus League. He worked 22.2 innings and allowed 12 runs - nine earned - while striking out 14 and walking six.
• Martinez was selected in the 12th round of the 2005 draft by the Giants. San Francisco opens its 2009 season on Tuesday vs. Milwaukee at AT&T Park.
LAMBERT SUITS UP FOR DETROIT TIGERS
• Former Boston College pitcher Chris Lambert made his Major League Baseball debut when he took the hill August 26 for the Detroit Tigers. Lambert, the 19th overall pick in the 2004 draft, faced Cleveland's Cliff Lee who was 18-2 on the year entering the game.
• Lambert is the first BC baseball alum to reach the majors since Brian Looney, who pitched in seven games with Montreal and Boston from 1993-95.
• In total, Lambert appeared in eight games for the Tigers and started three. He ended with a 1-2 record and an ERA of 5.66 in 20.2 innings pitched. He struck out 15 batters and walked seven.
• His first Major League win came on September 7 at Minnesota. He allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings of work.
• Lambert is currently on the Tigers' 40-man roster and is playing for the club's Triple-A team, the Toledo Mud Hens.
EAGLES IN THE PROS
• Four BC players from the 2008 team signed professional contracts when the season ended.
• Dan Houston was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round and Eric Campbell was selected in the eighth by the New York Mets.
• Terry Doyle was picked up by the Chicago White Sox in the 37th round. Nick Asselin signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees a week after the draft.
• Houston spent the season with Casper in the rookie level Pioneer League where he went 6-4 with a 4.17 ERA.
• Campell played for Brooklyn in the New York-Penn League (A), hitting .260 with nine doubles, four homers, 28 RBI, and 41 stolen bases.
• Asselin started in the rookie league then moved up to single A where he played for two teams. His last stint was with Charleston in the South Atlantic League and for the year he went 1-1 with a 4.06 ERA.
• There are a total of 15 former BC baseball players currently playing in the professional ranks.
