Baseball Travels To Duke For Final Road Series

April 23, 2009

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College baseball team will head to Durham, N.C. this weekend for a three-game ACC series against Duke beginning on Friday night at Jack Coombs Field.

This marks the last road trip of the regular season for the Eagles who will begin a 11-game home stand beginning on Tuesday, April 28.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH UPS (BC listed first)
Friday: RHP JB MacDonald (4-4, 3.02) vs. LHP Christopher Manno (3-4, 4.99)
Saturday: RHP John Leonard (1-1, 7.20) vs. RHP Andrew Wolcott (5-3, 2.48)
Sunday: LHP Pat Dean (4-3, 3.54) vs. TBA

WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Friday Night: Partly cloudy with a low around 56, calm wind
Saturday: Mostly sunny with a high near 87, west wind between 3-8 MPH
Sunday: Sunny with a high near 88

EAGLES MAKE FINAL ROAD TRIP TO DUKE
 Boston College will play its final road games of the season this weekend when it travels to Duke for a three-game set.
 The Eagles enter the weekend in third place in the ACC Atlantic Division while Duke is in fifth in the Coastal.
 The Eagles are coming off of a series loss to No. 13 Virginia last weekend but won its only game of the week against Bryant on Tuesday, 16-8. BC's game at Harvard on Wednesday was postponed due to rain.
 Boston College swept the series last year in Chestnut Hill and owns an 8-2 record in the all-time series against Duke.
 BC has won six-straight against the Blue Devils.

WISWALL, LAWRENCE HAVE CAREER DAYS
 Sophomore Mickey Wiswall and redshirt freshman Andrew Lawrence combined for five home runs and 13 RBI to lead the Boston College baseball team past Bryant, 16-8, on Tuesday at a rain-drenched Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.
 Wiswall went 4-for-5 for the Eagles with three homers, including a grand slam, a double and seven RBI. He also scored four times. His RBI and run totals were both career highs.
 Lawrence finished the day 4-for-5 as well with two home runs, six RBI and three runs. Each of those numbers are career highs and his two long balls were the first of his career.
 Lawrence entered the game with five RBI on the year.

POWER SURGE
 Boston College has hit 31 of its 46 home runs this season in the last 19 games.
 In nine of the 19 games, the Eagles hit more than one bomb which had happened just three times in the first 21 outings.
 BC has 22 round-trippers in its first 13 home games. In all of 2008, the Eagles hit just eight out of Shea Field in 21 games.
 BC's 46 home runs are the most hit by an Eagle team since 2002 when they smacked 55.
 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.

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.

EARLY BIRDS
 The Eagles have made a habit of getting ahead early in the ball game this year.
 BC has scored first in 28 of its 40 games this season and has scored in the first inning 20 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 56-30 in the first inning this year.
 Boston College is 21-7 when it crosses the plate first.

CLUTCH HITTING
 BC has driven in 104 RBI with two outs so far this season. Junior Mike Belfiore has 27 of those RBI - he has 49 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 37 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 55 sacrifice hits this year which leads the ACC and is second in the nation. On the other hand, their opponents have recorded just 16.
 Eleven different players have successfully moved runners along.
 The Eagles are also 24-for-48 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 SOLID ON FRIDAY NIGHTS
 Senior captain JB MacDonald has been strong in his nine 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 3.02 ERA. Through 62.2 innings, he has allowed 48 hits and 25 runs - 21 earned - and has 52 Ks to 22 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 14th in the ACC in batting (.366), seventh in slugging (.686), fourth in runs (48), 12th in hits (56), first in homers (12) and fifth in total bases (105).

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 43 of 80 opportunities leading off an inning. That is a .538 average.
 Entering the weekend, Anston ranked eighth in the ACC in batting (.385), fifth in on-base percentage (.482), sixth in runs (42), fourth in hits (62), fifth in doubles (15) and sixth 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 49 RBI this season and 27 of them have come with two outs in the inning. He also has 10 home runs which is second on the team.
 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 2.81 ERA and is 4-0 on the mound. He has thrown 25.2 innings and allowed eight runs on 24 hits. He has struck out 36 and walked eight.
 He has allowed just three runs in his last 19.0 innings of work.

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 sixth 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 onApril 12 at Wake Forest.
 Each of his last five outings on the mound have been quality starts. He has thrown 33.0 innings in those starts and has allowed just six earned runs.
 Even more impressive is his strikeout to walk ratio during that span. He has fanned 37 batters in those five starts and walked just three.
 For the season, Dean has a 3.54 ERA and a 4-3 record. He has struck out 60 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 is second on the team with a 3.13 ERA and has a record of 3-2.
 He has allowed just 11 earned runs in 31.2 innings of work and has struck out 25.
 Moran has allowed an earned run in just five of his 17 appearances this year.
 In his last 26.0 innings, he has allowed just six 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 most appearances this year with 22. He has thrown a total of 10.1 innings and has allowed three runs on 10 hits.
 In his first four appearances, none of the six runners he inherited scored. For the season, he has allowed eight of 28 inherited runners to score.
 He has struck out 10 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 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA. He has allowed 48 hits and 21 earned runs in 62.2 innings of work, striking out 52 and walking 22.

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.

Boston College Athletics

Baseball Travels To Duke For Final Road Series

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