3/7/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College baseball continues its southern swing on Wednesday, March 8^th, when the Falcons go to Raleigh, NC to take on the Wake Tech CC Eagles in doubleheader action.
 
First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00pm ET on Tuesday afternoon from Five County Stadium in the Raleigh, NC suburbs, home of the Carolina Mudcats. The second game will follow at 3:30pm. There will be a video livestream available via the Wake Tech Athletics YouTube Channel, which you can access HERE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (4-4) comes into the contest with a little positive momentum, after winning its final game of a four-game weekend series at Florence-Darlington Tech in South Carolina.  After a rough first three games with the Stingers, where the Falcons were run-ruled 12-2, 12-1, and 12-2, Lackawanna finally got the bats going in a 10-5 win over Flor-Dar in the finale. Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) was 3-for-4 with two three-run doubles and a two-run homerun, giving him a whopping eight RBI on the day. Neon Keon Burkholder (Williamsport, PA) pitched three innings for the Falcons to pick up the win. Read the recap HERE.
 
The Falcons are hitting .318 on the year so far, posting a combined .919 OPS, with a .407 on-base percentage. The Falcons have scored 48 runs, while giving up 55, and have scored ten or more runs in four games this season, all wins. Lackawanna College has 25 extra-base hits, and the Falcons have been deadly on the base paths, going 27-for-27 on steals this year. The Lackawanna pitching staff holds a 7.97 ERA so far this season, giving up 55 runs, 44 earned, on 57 hits in 49.2 innings. The Falcons have struck out 60 batters and are holding their opponents to a .282 batting average this season.
 
Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp, PA) is tops on the team among players with six or more appearances with a .407 batting average. Walsh leads the Falcons with a 1.241 OPS, and is 11-for-27 with ten runs scored, three RBIs, and five extra base hits, including three doubles and two homeruns. Walsh has drawn five walks, and stolen eleven total bases this year. He had five steals in the first game of the year against SWVCC, drawing three walks and scoring four runs in the shutout win. Walsh has a hit in all eight games for the Falcons this season, and was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in the win over Florence-Darlington on Sunday.  
 
Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) is second on the team among players who have seen time in six or more games, averaging .368 on the year. Ludwick has seven hits in 19 at-bats, scoring seven runs and driving in six RBI, second on the squad this season. Ludwick has a homerun and has an OPS at 1.014 this season. He was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs in the win over Harford in game one last month, then hit a solo shot for his first dinger of the year in game two. Ludwick has two multi-hit games this season, and was 1-for-3 with two runs scored in the win over Flor-Dar on Sunday.
 
George Castro (Philadelphia, PA), a third-year player for the Falcons, is third on the team at .353 on the year. Castro has a 1.110 OPS, buoyed by a .522 on-base percentage. He's drawn five walks, tied with Walsh for the team lead. Castro has six hits in 17 at-bats, and has three extra base hits, with two doubles and a triple. After being held hitless in the first game, Castro has at least a hit in his last six games. He was 1-for-2 with two runs scored in the win over Florence-Darlington on Sunday.
 
Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) is a .333 hitter this year, with a 1.035 OPS on the season. Murphy, thanks to his eight-RBI performance on Sunday, is the team leader in RBI with nine this year. Murphy is slugging at .667, and has three doubles, tied with Walsh for most on the team this year. He's 6-for-18 on the year. Murphy has two multi-hit games this season, with his 3-for-4 against Florence-Darlington on Sunday being his best on the year.
 
Dennis Pierce (Quakertown, PA) is hitting an even .500 through four games this year. Pierce is 4-for-8, driving in five RBI on the year, second on the team. Pierce holds a 1.125 OPS, and is slugging at .625. He was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in the first game against SWCC, then went 2-for-3 with two RBI in game two. Pierce, normally an infielder, appeared as a relief pitcher for the Falcons against Harford, giving up a run on three hits and striking out a pair in 2/3 innings of work. He also pitched an inning of relief in the win over Florence-Darlington on Sunday, giving up one run, unearned, while striking out a pair in the seventh inning.
 
Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) has the most at-bats (29) and holds a .207 batting average through eight games on the year. Rush has a .637 OPS, with a triple, a homerun, and three RBI to his name this year. His six runs scored and six hits are third on the team this season. Rush was 3-for-5 with three runs, a triple, and two RBI in the season opener against SWVCC, then had a solo homer in the game two win. Rush snapped a five-game hitless streak with a hit in the win over Florence-Darlington on Sunday. He has two multi-hit games this year, both against Southwest Virginia.
 
Michael Miller (Lafayette Hill, PA) is hitting .857 in his three games this year, going an impressive 6-for-6 in his plate appearances againt Florence Darlington over the weekend. Of Miller's six hits in three games, one has been a double, the other a solo homerun. He's driven in two runs this year, and has a slugging percentage at 1.429, boosting his OPS to 2.286 in the early going. Miller was 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, as well as an RBI, in the win over Florence-Darlington on Sunday.   
 
On the mound, the Falcons are led by Kyle Scott (Westminster, MD), who is 1-1 on the year in three starts. He went five innings against SWVCC in the season opener, striking out ten batters and allowing just two hits in what became a shutout 12-0 win for the Falcons. Scott was the Region XIX Pitcher of the Year in 2021, and battled through injuries last season to still be named to the Region XIX second-team. Scott has a 3.60 ERA in ten innings pitched, giving up six runs, four earned, on eight hits, while striking out 13 batters and walking five. Scott has held his opponents to .211 on the season. In his last start, the first game of the weekend at Florence-Darlington, Scott gave up five runs, three earned, on five hits in four innings of work of what turned out to be a 12-2 loss for the Falcons.
 
Keon Burkholder (Williamsport, PA) is second on the team with eight innings pitched so far this season. Burkholder is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his three appearances, giving up four runs on six hits, with seven strikeouts so far this season. Opponents are hitting .207 against Burkholder this season. Burkholder got the win in the game against Florence-Darlington on Sunday, pitching three innings and allowing two runs on just one hit and two strikeouts.
 
Aiden Starn (Pennsville, NJ) has pitched 7.2 innings so far this season, and has a 2-1 record with an inflated 12.91 ERA this year. He's allowed 14 runs, eleven earned, on 12 hits, with 12 strikeouts this year. Starn got battered in the second game on Saturday against Florence-Darlington in his last start, giving up nine runs, eight earned, on eight hits in 2.2 innings.  
 
Owen Arndt (Lewisburg, PA) has thrown four innings this season, going 0-1 in his two starts with a 6.75 ERA. Arndt has given up four runs, three earned, on four hits in his appearances so far this year. Arndt lasted two innings against Florence Darlington on Sunday afternoon, giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits, while walking two batters. Arndt is a transfer from Wallace State College in Alabama, where last season he pitched 21 innings, giving up ten earned runs and striking out 21 batters, going 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA.
 
Nathan Russell (Drexel Hill, PA) has thrown 4.1 innings of work so far this season, making two appearances, both in relief, posting a 2.08 ERA and giving up one run on two hits. Russell's opponents are averaging .133 at the dish against him this year. Russell gave up one run on two hits and two walks in two innings of work against Florence Darlington in the win on Sunday.
 
The Falcons are coached by Mike McCarry, entering his fifth season at the helm for the Falcons. McCarry has taken the Falcons to the NJCAA DII World Series twice in the last four years, taking the Falcons to Region 19 crowns in 2019 and 2021, on their way to the World Series tournament in Enid, OK. McCarry, who played under Jamie Shevchik at nearby Keystone College in the early 2000's, has been coaching baseball since 2006, having spent time at Central Bucks West HS, then moved onto the collegiate ranks a few years later when he arrived at LaSalle University, where he was the Head Assistant – Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. While at LaSalle, McCarry helped the Explorers develop a relationship with NJCAA schools, bringing in four NJCAA All-Americans in his time. After LaSalle, McCarry moved on to be the pitching coach at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX. McCarry is 98-61 in his 4+ seasons with the Falcons, winning a pair of Region 19 championships and coaching three NJCAA All-Americans, as well as several All-Region selections in his time at Lackawanna.
 
About The Opponents
Wake Tech (5-13) comes into the doubleheader after taking two-of-three from Southwest Virginia CC over the weekend at home. The Eagles won a pair of games on Sunday, including a thrilling 9-8 win in seven innings in the final game of the day. In that one, Wake Tech held a 4-0 lead heading into the sixth, when Southwest Virginia scored six runs to take the lead. In the bottom frame, Wake Tech stormed back with three runs of its own to take a 7-6 lead, only to see Southwest VA take it back with two runs in the top of the seventh. Somehow, the Eagles rallied one more time, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the win.
 
The Eagles have struggled this year from the plate, hitting just .244 collectively. Wake Tech averages around 6.2 runs per game this year, with 45 extra base hits, including ten homeruns and 31 doubles on the year. The Eagles have 75 stolen bases on the season, but have struck out 167 times this year.
 
On the mound, Wake Tech holds a 7.79 ERA for the staff. In 138.2 combined innings, the Eagles have surrendered 154 runs, 120 earned, on 153 hits, striking out 129 batters and walking 119, while giving up 12 homeruns this year.
 
Cameron Verrier leads the squad with 16 hits so far this season, hitting .296 on the year. Verrier has a .924 OPS, with a .443 OBP. He's drawn 12 walks, tied with two other players for first on the team, and has eleven stolen bases, second on the squad. Verrier has scored 12 runs, third on the team, and has four doubles and two homeruns for nine RBI, tied for second on the team in runs batted in.
 
Ick Cirino is second on the team with 14 hits, and he leads the team with seven extra base hits on the year. Cirino, a .269 hitter, has a .924 OPS, and has four doubles, a triple, and two homeruns for nine RBI this year. Cirino leads the Eagles in runs scored (17) and has drawn ten walks while stealing 13 bases, tops on the squad. Cirino is slugging at .500, tops on the team among players who have played a majority of games for the Eagles.
 
Kai Hansen has 12 hits so far this year and is a .273 hitter on the season. Hansen has a .935 OPS and a .458 OBP, thanks to 12 walks on the year. Hansen has three doubles and two homeruns for a team-high 13 RBI, and his nine stolen bases is third on the team. He's slugging at .477 on the year.
 
Andrew Holub is a .293 hitter this season, with a .463 OBP, thanks to 12 walks on the year. Holub has 12 hits this season, and has scored 13 runs, second on the team. He has two doubles and a homerun for eight RBI this year.
 
On the mound, Robert Garner has seen the most time, pitching a team-high 20.1 innings on the year in his four appearances, three starts. He's 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA, giving up 13 runs, nine earned, on 18 hits in his 20.1 innings of action. Garner has struck out 17 batters, tied for second on the team, while walking just four.
 
Second on the team in innings pitched is Sawyer Smith, who has made five appearances, three starts, and is 1-3 with an 8.84 ERA. In his 18.1 innings pitched, Smith has given up 25 runs, 18 earned, on 26 hits, while striking out a team-high 21 batters, and walking eleven on the year. Smith has also surrendered two homeruns on the year.
 
Patch Lyman is 0-3 in his six appearances with a 5.93 ERA. Lyman has pitched in 13.2 innings, giving up 12 runs, nine earned, on eight hits, striking out 17 batters, but walking a team-high 17 batters.
 
Trey Hodgin has the most appearances, coming on to pitch in ten games this year with a sterling 0.00 ERA through 9.2 innings. He's given up three runs, none of them earned, on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking four.
 
Robert Dudley is the head coach for Wake Tech, now in his fourth year with the program. Dudley was promoted from assistant coach to head coach in the summer of 2019. Coach Dudley came to Wake Tech after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Heritage High in Wake Forest, NC, where he helped the team finish at or near the top in several offensive categories. He also spent time as the head coach for the North Wake Fungo of the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate league, and has been a part of USA Baseball and the National Team Identification Series, helping the US National team try to identify potential players through workouts, scouting, and coaching. Dudley, an NC State graduate where he played three seasons of club baseball, is 57-72 in his career at Wake Tech.
 
Game Details
First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00pm ET on Tuesday afternoon from Five County Stadium in the Raleigh, NC suburbs, home of the Carolina Mudcats. The second game will follow at 3:30pm. There will be a video livestream available via the Wake Tech Athletics YouTube Channel, which you can access HERE.
 
The Falcons get right back to work on Thursday, March 9^th, when they take on Patrick & Henry CC in Martinsville, VA for a single, nine-inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00pm ET.