MOUNT ST. MARY'S BASEBALL
Friday, February 21, 2014
vs. Lehigh, 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
vs. Davidson, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
vs. Davidson, 1:00 p.m.

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO (Davidson Games Only)

MOUNT UPDATE:  The Mount baseball team opens the 2014 season with three games in Davidson, N.C.  The Mount will face Lehigh in the season opener on Friday before playing host Davidson on Saturday and Sunday.  The Mountaineers are coming off a tough 2013 season that saw the team finish 11-37 overall and 6-26 in Northeast Conference play. 

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS:  Lehigh went 18-29 last season with a 5-15 mark in the Patriot League.  The top returnees on offense include leadoff hitter Justin Pacchioli (.366), catcher Joe Abeln (.311, 28 RBI) and Tyler Brong (.278, 23 runs).  On the mound Colin Gotzon (5-5, 3.56 ERA) is the top starter with Mike Burke (3-4, 5.27 ERA) and Nick Stephens (1-5, 4.54 ERA) also returning.

THE MOUNT VS. LEHIGH:  Mount St. Mary's is 3-1 all-time against Lehigh, including a split in a pair of games played at the Mount's E.T. Straw Family Stadium last year.  The Mount downed Lehigh, 9-8, in 10 innings on March 15, and fell to the Mountain Hawks, 10-9, in 12 innings on March 16.  The Mount and Lehigh are slated to play a three-game series at Lehigh on March 22 and 23.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS:  Davidson lost its season opener, 4-3 in 12 innings, at Wake Forest on Tuesday night.  Wake Forest rallied from a 3-1 deficit to earn the win.  Ben Arkin had a pair of hits, including a two-run homer, for Davidson in the loss.  Davidson went 18-31 last year, including 12-18 in the Southern Conference.  Forrest Brandt (.295, 27 RBI and Ryan Lowe (.295, 5HR) are the top returnees at the plate.  Lowe (4-8, 5.40 ERA) is also one of the top returnees on the mound for Davidson.

THE MOUNT VS. DAVIDSON:  The Mount is 1-10 all-time against Davidson, with all 11 meetings coming on the road.  Mount St. Mary's won the first-ever meeting, 2-1, on Feb. 12, 2000.   The teams played twice in 2010, with Davidson earning 4-2 and 29-7 victories.

A KNIGHT'S TALE:  Jay Knight is coming off a breakout season in 2013.  The senior outfielder hit .345 last year while leading the team with 44 runs scored and 32 stolen bases.  Knight was even better in Northeast Conference play, hitting .385 with 30 runs scored in 32 games.  Knight broke both the single season and career record for steals last year.  His 32 steals shattered the old mark of 18 set by Matt Rueckert in both 1991 and 1992.  Knight now has 40 career steals, one more than Wayne Crowley (1997-2000).

VETERAN ROTATION:  Fifth-year seniors Karl Lamont and Vincent Molesky look to lead the Mount's pitching staff this year.  Lamont went 2-7 with a 5.02 ERA and a pair of complete games for the Mount in 2012. He missed last season due to injury. Molesky was 2-3 with a 4.26 ERA and one complete game for the Mountaineers last year.  Juniors Connor Graber (2-4, 6.81 ERA) and Scott Nickerson (3-7, 5.96 ERA) are also expected to be starters for the Mount in 2014.

NEW LOOK INFIELD:  The Mount will have some new faces in the lineup this season.  Kory Britton, who transferred to the Mount from xx CC, will be playing at shortstop while freshmen Andrew Frazier and Zach Call will handle first and third base, respectively.  Brandon Scott will start the year as the Mount's second baseman.

THE OUTFIELD:  Jay Knight, Tommy Quealy and Ryan Owens will man the outfield for the Mount to start the year.  Knight, who hit .345 with 44 runs scored in 2013, will be in left field.  Quealy, who will be in center, hit .261 as a freshman last year.  Owens will be in right field.  He missed last year with an injury.

OWENS RETURNS:  Redshirt sophomore Ryan Owens, who missed the 2013 season due to injury, returns to the Mount lineup in the outfield.  Owens had a solid rookie season for the Mountaineers in 2012, hitting .262 with 10 doubles and 21 RBI while starting 51 games.    

IN THE PEN:  Look for Chad Diehl and Ben Smallenbroek to serve as closers for head coach Scott Thomson this season.  Diehl was 0-2 with a 9.16 ERA in 16 relief appearances for the Mount as a freshman last year.  Diehl, however, had a 5.94 ERA in 13 appearances in NEC games.  Smallenbroek missed last season due to injury.  He was 0-2 with a 9.57 ERA in 12 appearances (four starts) as a freshman.  Kevin Myers (2-1, 5.79 ERA), Jordan Lawson (0-7, 5.23 ERA) and Austin Bonadio (0-0, 6.23 ERA) will also be key members in the bullpen.

BEHIND THE PLATE:  Junior Andrew Clow will handle most of the catching duties for the Mount this season.  Clow hit .256 with 14 RBI last year, but his major contribution was with his standout defense.  Clow threw out 41.2 percent of runners attempting to steal last year.

PRESEASON PICKS:  The Mountaineers were selected to finish in sixth place in the annual Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches poll.  Defending champion Bryant was a unanimous pick to finish first, followed by Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut St., LIU Brooklyn, Wagner, the Mount and Fairleigh Dickinson.