4/25/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Another busy week for Lackawanna baseball begins on Tuesday, April 25^th, when the Falcons travel to take on SUNY Dutchess CC in non-region action.
 
The single, nine-inning game is set for a 3:30pm ET first pitch at Heritage Financial Park, formerly Dutchess Stadium, in Wappingers Falls, NY, just east of the Hudson River. There is no video livestream available for this match-up.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (28-13) has gone 21-4 in its last 25 games, and has won ten straight games, with its last loss coming two weeks ago to Monroe College, 15-13. The Falcons were last in action this past weekend, where they swept past Sussex County CC by scores of 8-7 and 9-2 to lock up the top-seed and hosting privileges heading into next month's Region XIX baseball tournament. You can read the recap HERE.  
 
The Falcons are hitting .344 on the year so far, posting a combined 1.017 OPS, with a .465 on-base percentage. The Falcons have scored 411 runs, while giving up 260, and have scored ten or more runs in 21 games this season, 19 of which have been wins. Lackawanna College has 155 extra-base hits, including 89 doubles (1^st in Region XIX) and 41 homeruns (2^nd in Region XIX), and the Falcons have been deadly on the base paths, going 138-for-147 on steals this year. Lackawanna leads Region XIX in triples (25) and is first in stolen bases. Lackawanna has drawn 244 walks this season, but has struck out 256 times. The Falcons pitching staff holds a 7.05 ERA so far this season, giving up 260 runs, 224 earned, on 294 hits in 286 innings. The Falcons have struck out 290 batters and are holding their opponents to a .259 batting average this season.
 
Corner infielder Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) is a .387 hitter this year, and leads the Falcons with 53 total hits on the year. Murphy has a 1.098 OPS on the season in 39 games, and is slugging at .628 for the Falcons this season. Murphy is fourth on the team with six homeruns this season, and he has a team-best 51 RBI on the year, collecting 21 extra base hits and scoring 47 runs, tied for second on the team this year. Murphy's 15 doubles lead all of Region XIX. Murphy has also drawn 19 walks this season, sixth on the squad, and is one of eleven Falcons with ten or more walks. Murphy has 17 multi-hit games this season, and was a combined 4-for-7 with three runs scored, a double, and two RBI in two games against Sussex on Sunday in the doubleheader sweep.   
 
Outfielder Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) has the most at-bats (140) and holds a .350 batting average through 41 games on the year, compiling 49 hits, second on the team. Rush has a 1.094 OPS, with a team-high five triples and seven homeruns, tied for second on the squad, with 45 RBI on the year. Rush is second in RBI behind Murphy this year. His 47 runs scored are tied with Murphy for second on the team this year. Rush has 21 stolen bases this season, second on the team. He has 14 multi-hit games this year, and was a combined 4-for-6 with two runs scored, a double, and three RBI in two games against Sussex on Sunday.      
 
Outfielder Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp., PA) holds a .388 batting average so far this season, and is third on the team with 47 hits. Walsh has a 1.212 OPS, and has scored a team-high 55 runs. Walsh has 33 RBI, and 17 extra base hits this season, including seven homers, tied with Rush for second on the team. He has drawn a team-best 37 walks, and has stolen 43 total bases this year, first on the team and first in NJCAA DII. Walsh has a .543 on-base percentage, but has struck out 30 times, tied for most on the team this year. Walsh has 13 multi-hit games this year, and was a combined 2-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI in the doubleheader win over Sussex on Sunday.     
 
Catcher and DH Michael Miller (Lafayette Hill, PA) is hitting .489 in his 31 games this year, and has an OPS of 1.403. Miller's 44 hits are tied for fourth on the team, and he's scored 29 runs on the year. Miller has 16 extra base hits this season, with a team-best eight homeruns and eight doubles on the year. He's driven in 38 RBI this year, and has a slugging percentage at .844, with a .559 on-base percentage. He's drawn 14 walks and has been hit by four pitches so far this season. Miller has 14 multi-hit games, eight in his last eleven games, and was a combined 4-for-7 with a three-run homer, two runs scored, and four total RBI in two games against Sussex.
 
Shortstop Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) has a .358 batting average in his 38 games this year. D'Amico has a .985 OPS, and has 44 hits, tied with Miller for fourth the team this year. D'Amico has scored 34 runs, fifth on the squad, and has ten doubles this season, driving in 37 runs this year, fifth on the Falcons. D'Amico has a .481 on-base percentage, getting hit by a team-high 13 pitches and drawing 20 walks, tied for fourth on the team. D'Amico has 12 multi-hit games this season. He was a combined 3-for-7 with a double and a run scored in two games against Sussex on Sunday.  
 
Utility player Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) is averaging .292 on the year, with an OPS at .876 this season. Ludwick has 35 hits on the season, scoring 39 runs, and he has driven in 38 RBI, fourth on the team this season. Ludwick has 22 walks this season, second on the team this year, and has 12 extra base hits, with four homeruns, six doubles, and two triples this year. Ludwick has eight multi-hit games on the year, and went a combined 2-for-7 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a double in the doubleheader sweep over Sussex.   
 
Utility player Spencer Butz (York, PA) is hitting .325 on the year in his 30 games, with 22 starts this season. Butz has a 1.100 OPS, and has a .486 on-base percentage this season. Butz has 27 total hits, and has 26 RBI this season. He's also scored 31 runs for the Falcons this year. Butz has eleven extra base hits, including three triples and five homeruns, and has drawn 17 walks, while getting hit by nine pitches this season. Butz has also stolen 17 bases, third on the squad. Butz has seven multi-hit games this season, but did not play against Sussex on Sunday. He was a combined 0-for-3 with three runs scored against Raritan, leaving game two early after getting hit by a pitch.   
 
Second baseman Michael Rickert (Moosic, PA) is hitting .407 in his 26 games this season, posting a 1.197 OPS. Rickert has 22 total hits, and has scored 18 runs. He has five doubles and four triples on the season, and has driven in 16 RBI. Rickert has drawn 17 walks, and has a .549 OBP, while stealing seven bags on the year. Rickert has six multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, and two RBI in two games against Sussex on Sunday.
 
Catcher Cole Casamento (Limerick, PA) has 22 total hits and is hitting .328 in 30 games this season. Casamento has 16 runs scored on the year, and holds a .849 OPS. Casamento has seven doubles this year, with 15 RBI, and has drawn eight walks, with a .416 on-base percentage. Casamento also has six stolen bases this season. Cole has four multi-hit games this season, and was 1-for-3 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI in one game against Sussex.      
 
On the mound, the Falcons are led by Kyle Scott (Westminster, MD), who is 6-2 on the year in ten 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 3.86 ERA in 46.2 innings pitched, giving up 26 runs, 20 earned, on 34 hits, while striking out a team-best 75 batters and walking 23. Scott has held his opponents to .194 on the season. Scott has four games where he has struck out ten or more batters this season. Scott had won his last four starts entering Sunday against Sussex, and tossed a season-high 14 strikeouts in a 12-0 win over Monroe CC back on April 7^th. His last start, against Sussex, ended with a thud, after Scott had to leave the game in the fifth inning after Sussex had plated a few runs. Scott went 4.2 innings, giving up six runs, five earned, on three hits, while striking out eight.       
 
Aiden Starn (Pennsville, NJ) has pitched 38.2 innings so far this season, and has a 3-2 record with a 5.59 ERA this year. He's allowed 29 runs, 24 earned, on 45 hits, with 41 strikeouts and 18 walks this year. Batters are hitting .287 against Starn in his nine appearances. Starn had maybe his best start of the year this past Sunday against Sussex, giving up seven hits and two runs, just one earned, in seven innings of work, striking out a season-high eight batters in what was a 9-2 win for Lackawanna College.   
 
Reliever Ty Morris (Manchester Valley, MD) has thrown 24.2 innings so far this season, posting a 4.74 ERA and a 5-0 record in his eleven appearances. Morris has given up 16 runs, 13 earned, on 30 hits, striking out 17 and walking eight on the year. Teams are hitting .297 against Morris this season. Morris started in his last appearance, pitching six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, in a 13-0 win over Raritan Valley CC on Saturday.  
 
Matthew McElligott (Columbus, OH) has thrown 23.2 innings of work this year in a team-high 14 appearances, with two starts this season. He's got a 6.08 ERA, giving up 17 runs, 16 earned, on 19 hits, while striking out 25 batters and walking 21. McElligott is holding his opponents to a .209 batting average on the year. McElligott made a pair of appearances over the weekend, pitching three scoreless innings of relief against Raritan Valley on Friday, then coming in to relieve Scott two days later against Sussex, giving up a run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief, but securing the win.  
 
Nathan Russell (Drexel Hill, PA) has thrown 20.2 innings of work so far this season, making 12 appearances, all in relief, posting a 6.97 ERA and going 3-0 this season, with a save. Russell has given up 16 runs on 20 hits, while striking out 14 and walking 14 this year. Russell's opponents are averaging .260 at the dish against him this year. Russell gave up three runs on two hits in his last appearance, lasting just an inning against Raritan Valley on Friday.
 
Reliever Jace Cunnane (Clarkstown, NY) has thrown 19 innings this season, posting a 3.79 ERA in ten appearances, going 2-0 and posting a pair of saves. He's given up ten runs on 17 hits, while striking out 15 and walking just five batters this year. Cunnane is holding opponents to a .2224 batting average this season. Cunnane pitched an inning of relief this past weekend against Sussex, allowing a hit in a scoreless inning for the save in the game one win.  
 
Reliever Ty Federici (Lehman, PA) has made nine appearances and is 3-2 with a 7.94 ERA so far this season. In his 17 innings pitched, Federici has allowed 21 runs, 15 earned, on 27 hits, while striking out 15 and walking six. Batters have hit him hard this season, with a .333 batting average against him. Federici has had three good outings as of late, pitching one inning of relief last Sunday where he gave up one hit, getting the win against Lehigh Carbon last week, pitching four innings of scoreless relief and striking out a season-high seven, then pitching 0.2 innings of scoreless relief against Monroe CC to preserve the 20-17 win for the Falcons in game two last Friday. His most recent outing was the start against Montgomery County CC, where he gave up six runs, three earned, on six hits in four innings of work to get the win.
 
Lackawanna College is coached by Mike McCarry, now in 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 122-70 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 SUNY Dutchess CC
The Falcons (3-15) snapped a 14-game losing streak to start the year when they took three-of-four from SUNY Orange CC this past weekend. The Falcons won games by scores of 15-13, 14-6, and 6-5, while dropping a 10-9 decision to the Colts.
 
On the year, the Falcons are hitting .288 as a team this year, with a .738 OPS. They have scored 96 runs in 18 games, a 5.3 runs per game average, while their opponents are averaging 9.8 runs per contest. The Falcons have 32 doubles and 38 extra base hits total on the season, and have struck out 111 times, while drawing 58 walks this season. Dutchess has 31 team stolen bases on the year. The Falcons pitching staff has a collective 9.83 ERA, giving up 182 runs, 146 earned, on 170 hits in 133.2 innings pitched, striking out 73 and walking 122 this year.  
 
Tyler VanDeBogart leads the Falcons with 21 total hits this year, posting a .356 batting average this year. VanDeBogart has a .991 OPS, with a .449 OBP. He's got a team-high 15 runs scored, and has five doubles and two homers for 17 RBI, first on the team. VanDeBogart has drawn a team-high nine walks, and has struck out seven times this year. He's got six multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 3-for-7 with two runs scored, four RBI, and a double, with two stolen bases in a doubleheader against SUNY Orange on Saturday.   
 
Shane Heinemann has 19 total hits this season, and has a .292 batting average this year. Heinemann has 12 runs scored this year, third on the squad, and has four doubles and eight RBI this year. He's got 15 strikeouts this year, most on the team this year, and has four stolen bases this year. Heinemann has four multi-hit games, three in his last four games, and was a combined 3-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI in the doubleheader against Orange on Saturday.
 
Paul Andrews is hitting .340 this year, with 18 total hits for the Falcons. Andrews has scored six runs, while hitting three doubles and driving in eleven runs, second on the team. Andrews has a pair of walks and ten strikeouts this year, with two stolen bases. Andrews has five multi-hit games on the year, and has recorded a hit in seven straight games. He was a combined 2-for-7 with a run scored, two doubles, and two RBI against Orange in the doubleheader this past weekend.
 
Parker Nevins has 18 total hits and a .321 batting average on the year, scoring nine runs and driving in six on the year. Nevins has three doubles this season, and has drawn seven walks, fourth on the team this season. He's also got 14 strikeouts, second-worst on the squad. Nevins has seven multi-hit games this year, including his last three contests. He was a combined 4-for-6 with a run scored and a double, as well as a walk, in the doubleheader against Orange on Saturday.
 
Evan Acevedo has 14 total hits and a .215 batting average in 17 games this year. Acevedo has seven extra base hits, tied with VanDeBogart for first on the team, and leads the Falcons with six doubles this year. Acevedo has scored seven runs and posted eight RBI, while walking five times and striking out 13 times this season. Acevedo has two multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 1-for-7 with a run scored, a double, and four RBI in two games against Orange on Saturday.
 
Gary Magner is hitting .264 on the year, and has 14 total hits in 15 games this year. Magner has 13 runs scored, second on the team, and has two doubles and a triple for five RBI this year. Magner has eight walks, third on the team, and has five stolen bases this season. He's got three multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 1-for-7 with three runs scored in two games against Orange on Saturday.  
 
Matthew Wheeler has 13 total hits and a .289 batting average so far this season. Wheeler has scored nine runs and has three doubles for four RBI on the year. He's drawn a team-high nine walks this year, and has four stolen bases. Wheeler has four multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 1-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in the doubleheader against Orange on Saturday.    
 
Aiden Hobart leads the Falcons with 22.2 innings pitched in six appearances, going 0-3 with a 7.54 ERA this season. Hobart has given up 23 runs, 19 earned, on 28 hits, while striking out a team-best 16 and walking 15 on the year. Hobart had his season-best six strikeouts against Westchester back on April 6^th, and went four innings, giving up three runs on five hits, but Westchester won the game 11-1. In his last start, he was tagged with the loss against Orange in game one on Saturday, giving up eight runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings, striking out three and walking four.  
 
The aforementioned Matthew Wheeler is second on the Falcons with 18.1 innings pitched this year, going 1-2 in five appearances with an 8.20 ERA this year. Wheeler has allowed 17 runs on 25 hits, while striking out eleven and walking six this season. Wheeler had his best game in his last start, where he gave up five runs on nine hits in eight innings, striking out a season-best six batters in what was a 14-6 win over SUNY Orange last Friday.
 
Vincent Schara has a 10.31 ERA and is 0-3 in seven appearances this season, pitching 18.1 innings on the year. Schara has given up 27 runs, 21 earned, on 29 hits, while striking out six and walking 16 batters this season. Schara lost his last start back on April 14^th, giving up seven runs on five hits in three innings against SUNY Rockland in a 17-2 loss. He last appeared this past weekend against Orange, pitching relief and giving up two runs on five hits in 2.1 innings against the Colts in an eventual 10-9 loss.
 
Gary Magner has a 5.52 ERA in five appearances, going 1-2 with 14.2 innings pitched this year. He's given up 13 runs, nine earned, on 16 hits, while striking out ten and walking three this year. Magner won his last start, the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, giving up five runs on five hits in six innings, striking out three in the win.  
 
The head coach for SUNY Dutchess CC is Al Hammell, now in his tenth season at the helm of the Falcons. Hammell spent his youth playing at LeMoyne College, and was selected by the New York Mets in the 1992 MLB draft. He'd go on to spend five seasons in the Mets organization, getting as high as AAA baseball. After his playing career, Hammell went to Marist College as the top assistant for four years, and completed his Master's Degree in Public Administration and an Elementary Education Certification. He has been a teacher in the Millibrook Central School District since 2003, and has coached HS baseball at various levels in NY state. Hammell has gone 65-134 in his time at Dutchess.
 
Game Details
Lackawanna and SUNY Dutchess CC are set for a single, nine-inning game, with a 3:30pm ET first pitch at Heritage Financial Park, formerly Dutchess Stadium, in Wappingers Falls, NY, just east of the Hudson River. There is no video livestream available for this match-up.
 
The Falcons have another nine-inning game scheduled for this week, when they come back home to host the Rowan College South Jersey Cumberland Dukes for a single game on Thursday, April 27^th. First pitch is scheduled for a 3:00pm ET start at Scranton HS.