March 8, 2012
NORFOLK, VA--The ODU Baseball Monarchs open Colonial Athletic Association play this weekend with a three-game series against the Blue Hens of Delaware beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
Friday's game kicks off "Stars of Tomorrow" weekend with the first 250 fans receiving Beanie Baseballs. Youths 12 and under get in free throughout the series.
Delaware (5-8) is led by freshman outfielder Tyler Powell at .385 junior outfielder Nick Ferdinand at .340 with two homeruns and 11 RBI. The Fightin' Blue Hens are scheduled to pitch Eric Young (2-0/0.00 ERA) on Friday, Corey Crispell (0-1/2.60 ERA) Saturday and on Sunday Chad Kuhl (1-2/6.75 ERA) or Devon Pearson (1-0/0.68 ERA).
Senior catcher Josh Tutwiler leads ODU with a .355 batting average, followed by leftfielder Shawn Sizemore at.314 and second baseman Brandon Shelton at .302. Senior shortstop Josh Wright and Outfielder/firstbaseman Chris Baker lead the squad with two homers each. Tutwiler, Sizemore and Baker each have five RBI.
The Monarchs are scheduled to throw Brett Harris (0-1/3.00 ERA) on Friday, Ben Tomchick (0-1/4.22 ERA) on Saturday and Phil McCarthy (0-1/9.00 ERA) on Sunday. McCarthy is ninth in the CAA in strikeouts with 14 in 13 innings pitched.
SERIES: ODU leads, 13-12, including a series sweep last year in Newark.
OTHER NOTES: The April 13th JMU game will be "Flood The Bud" and Championship effort night.
Saturday, April 28th game against VCU will be Baseball Alumni Day. That game willstart at 6 p.m.