Boston College Returns to Bethune-Cookman for Three

WEEKEND PITCHING MATCH-UPS

Friday, 6 p.m.: RHP-Matt Gill (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP-Anthony Maldonado (0-0, 3.60)
Saturday, 4 p.m.: RHP-Mason Pelio (0-0, —) vs. RHP-Tyler Krull (0-0, 5.40)
Sunday, 1 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

Record: 3-0 (0-0 ACC)
Coach: Mike Gambino
Career Record/Years: 180-248/9
Rank: RV^NCBWA

BETHUNE-COOKMAN WILDCATS

Record: 1-3 (0-0 MEAC)
Coach: Jonathan Hernandez
Career Record/Years: 1-3/1
Rank: NR

Boston College baseball is back on the road this weekend for a three-game series at Bethune-Cookman. The Eagles return to Daytona Beach, Fla. for the second time in three seasons as the series gets underway Friday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

ABOUT THE EAGLES

BC is 3-0 to start the season for the first time since a 7-0 start to the 2016 season. The Eagles received votes in this week's NCBWA Top-30 poll after sweeping Jackson State; Boston College's first sweep since 2017 vs. Notre Dame and first sweep on the road since 2010 at NC State. Senior LHP Dan Metzdorf and junior RHP Matt Gill each pitched seven innings of two-hit ball with no earned runs on opening weekend. The BC offense averaged 9.0 runs per game with freshman Sal Frelick hitting a team-leading .545 (6-for-11) with six RBI and a home run. He was successful on five stolen base attempts; leading an Eagles team that were 16-for-16 on the bases. Sophomore left fielder Chris Galland swiped three bags, scored three runs, drove in three and hit .286 (4-for-14).

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

Bethune-Cookman won its opener vs. Florida Gulf Coast behind strong, but has lost three in a row, including a midweek match-up vs. Florida International, to enter the weekend at 1-3. Anthony Maldonado provided five innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts last Friday. Jordan Pinto got the win with two-scoreless innings and Brandon Wilkes put up two shutout frames for the save. Shortstop Joseph Fernando has hit a team-best .308 (4-for-13) through four games with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. As a team, the Wildcats are only hitting .192 and averaging 4.0 runs per game, while opponents have hit .333 and scored at a rate of 11.8 runs per contest.

ALL-TIME VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN

The Wildcats lead the all-time series over the Eagles, 4-3, including a 3-2 record in Daytona Beach. The first match-up between the two sides was an 8-2 Bethune-Cookman win in Winter Park, Fla. Each of the last five contests has been played at the Wildcats home park. Boston College won both games in 2011 as shortstop Brad Zapenas combined to go 5-for-10 with three runs and a RBI.

LAST TIME THEY MET

Coming off its 17th MEAC championship and NCAA Regional appearance in 21 years, Bethune-Cookman hosted BC on opening weekend in 2017. The Wildcats, who went on to win an 18th conference title in 22 years by season's end, swept the series with three one-run wins. The Eagles led the opener 1-0 heading to the ninth and had a chance to add to its lead, but the drawn in Bethune-Cookman infield prevented BC from scoring. In the bottom half, the Wildcats tied the game on a RBI-triple by Demetrius Sims and walked off a batter later on Nate Sterjevski's RBI-single. Bethune-Cookman clinched the series with a 6-5 Saturday win and finished off the sweep, 3-2, behind a 10-strikeout performance from Anthony Maldonado as the bullpen held off BC's ninth-inning rally.

SHADES OF '16

Dan Metzdorf became the first opening day starter to pitch seven innings or more with no earned runs since Mike King vs. NIU (2016). Sal Frelick was the first BC freshman to homer in his debut since Gian Martellini in that same game vs. NIU (2016). Going further back in the record books, BC started two freshmen (Frelick and Cody Morissette) for the first time on opening day since the Eagles put Chris Shaw, Logan Hoggarth and Joe Cronin in the lineup in 2013.

UP NEXT

The Eagles head to the Bluegrass State for eight games in 10 days over spring break. BC takes on Evansville March 1 in a four-game, three-team tournament at Eastern Kentucky.