Under Preview: Delaware vs. Monmouth

Baseball
Time: Friday-Sunday
Location: Bob Hannah Stadium

About the teams:

About Delaware:  The Hens come into this three-game series with a 3-3 overall record (0-0 CAA). They won/lost at No. 25 Virginia Tech 5-3 on Monday. Redshirt senior outfielder Nick Ferdinand has six runs and nine RBIs, while junior infielder Jimmy Yezzo has six runs and six RBIs. In the starting rotation, junior right-hander Chad Kuhl has a 3.29 ERA and two wins from two starts and senior right-hander Eric Buckland has a 1.29 ERA and one win from one start.


About Monmouth: The Hawks come into this series with a 1-3 overall record. They lost a three-game series at Vanderbilt, after defeating Villanova in the opening game of the season at the Ron Fraser Classic in Cary, N.C. Among the hitters, sophomore outfielder Craig Sweeney has three runs and a .444 batting average and sophomore outfielder Steve Wilgus has two runs and a .444 batting average. As for the pitchers, sophomore right-hander T.J. Hunt has a 2.25 ERA and has one win from one start.


Why the Hens can win:

Most of the players who were on the team that lost in the 2012 CAA Championship return for Delaware. Yezzo and Ferdinand are playing well, as are Kuhl and Buckland. With such experience, the Hens could easily take the win over Monmouth’s young team.


Why the Hens could lose:

Though Monmouth’s pitching rotation is not the strongest, Sweeney and Wilgus are playing well, with Wilgus having .615 on-base percentage.


The numbers:

361-301: Head coach Jim Sherman’s all-time record

31: The number of runs the Hens have scored this season

35: The number of runs scored against Monmouth this season

The prediction:

I think the Hens will sweep all three games due to their experience.