Northeast-10 Championship Central

RINDGE, N.H. (May 8, 2018) – After three straight must-win games to preserve its season, the Franklin Pierce University baseball team finally has some breathing room as it enters the double-elimination, weekend portion of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Thursday afternoon. Still, the Ravens – the Northeast Division's fourth seed -- will want to set themselves up for success with a win in their opening game at the tournament, as they square off with the host and third seed out of the Southwest Division, Le Moyne. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. at Onondaga Baseball Complex, on the campus of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, N.Y.

Though a four seed this year, Franklin Pierce (24-21) has been the cream of the crop in the NE10 Championship over nearly the last two decades. The Ravens are one of three schools (Bentley, Merrimack) to establish a new Conference record with their 19^th appearance in the NE10 Championship this season, though Franklin Pierce is the only one to have done so in 19 consecutive years. Franklin Pierce has made 10 appearances in the championship round of the tournament, which is more than any other school in NE10 history. The Ravens' five titles (2015, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005) are the most among active NE10 schools and tie former league members Springfield and Massachusetts Lowell for the most in Conference annals. Franklin Pierce's last trip to the title round came in 2017, when they were defeated by New Haven.

Meanwhile, Le Moyne (23-23) is in the midst of its seventh NE10 Championship appearance, as well as its fourth in a row. The Dolphins have won their first-round contest and advanced to the weekend portion of the league tournament for the third season in a row. Le Moyne has made one trip to the final round of the NE10 Championship, when it prevailed over Franklin Pierce to claim the 2012 league crown. 

Northeast-10 Baseball Championship
Hosted by Le Moyne College
Onondaga Baseball Complex – Syracuse, N.Y.
(Seeds in parentheses) 

Thursday, May 9
Game 5: (SW4) Southern Connecticut State vs. (NE3) Merrimack – 10 a.m.
Game 6: (NE4) Franklin Pierce at (SW3) Le Moyne – 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Loser – approximately 5 p.m. (loser eliminated) 

Friday, May 10
Game 8: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – Noon
Game 9: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser – 3:30 p.m. (loser eliminated) 

Saturday, May 11
Game 10: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner – Noon
*Game 11: Game 10 rematch – 3:30 p.m.
* Game 11 only necessary if Game 9 Winner wins Game 10.

There will be a minimum of 45 minutes between games.

Scouting the Ravens

Franklin Pierce heads into the weekend portion of the NE10 Championship for the first time since 2017 after picking up a 3-2 win on the road at rival SNHU – the Northeast Division's top seed – in Tuesday's first round. Freshman Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.), senior Evan Glew (North Andover, Mass.) and senior Zach Hart (Wallingford, Conn.) combined to throw a six-hitter, while junior catcher Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) hit a key home run which would stand as the winning run.

Franklin Pierce has not been ranked yet this season in the NCAA East Region rankings. With an overall record of 24-21, the Ravens' only path into the NCAA Championship field is to win the NE10 Championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA East Regional.

On the field, All-NE10 First Team selection and senior left fielder Brad Roberto (San Diego, Calif.) has been the clear leader at the plate for Franklin Pierce all season. In his final go-around at the collegiate level, the Golden State native has put together a .361/.476/.538 slash line over 169 at-bats (61-for-169), which have largely been split between the leadoff spot and the three-hole. Roberto has tallied 10 doubles, four triples and four home runs, scored 40 times and driven in 31 runs. He has drawn 39 walks against just 21 strikeouts. The Ravens have also gotten a .294/.374/.424 slash line over 170 at-bats (50-for-170) out of junior first baseman Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.), who has contributed 14 doubles, a triple and a pair of home runs while scoring 23 runs and driving in 38.

Scouting the Dolphins

On the other side of the ledger, the Dolphins won on the road in the first round as well, as they upended second-seeded Pace, 2-1, on Tuesday, behind a complete-game effort from sophomore right-hander Ryan Murphy, who did not surrender an earned run on seven hits, did not issue a walk and struck out four. Senior catcher Camillo Spinoso provided an RBI single in the sixth which would stand as the winning run.

Much like Franklin Pierce, Le Moyne has not been featured in the NCAA East Region rankings this season either. The lone path for the Dolphins into the NCAA Championship field is also to win the NE10 Championship and claim the automatic bid.

Le Moyne is led at the plate by senior first baseman Andrew Taft, an All-NE10 First Team selection who has put together a .335/.437/.613 slash line over 173 at-bats (58-for-173) with nine doubles and a league-leading 13 home runs. He has also piled up 37 runs scored and 42 RBIs. Spinoso has added .291/.425/.491 over 165 at-bats (48-for-165) on the way to All-NE10 Second Team honors, with nine doubles and eight home runs, and has scored 35 runs while driving in 28.

On the Mound

The Ravens are expected to give the ball to graduate student right-hander Ryan Covelle (Medford, Mass.), who will be making his first career postseason start, but his sixth career postseason appearance. In three career appearances in the NE10 Championship, he has allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits, with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work.

On the season, Covelle has made 13 appearances, including eight starts, and logged 58.2 innings. He has allowed 31 runs (17 earned) on 55 hits, walked 18 and struck out 60 (9.28 per nine innings) to put together a 2.63 ERA and a 6-4 record with one save.

Covelle started the back end of a doubleheader when the Ravens hosted Le Moyne at Pappas Field on April 6. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, walked five, hit a batter and struck out five over 4.1 innings while taking the loss. Covelle also has one career relief appearance against the Dolphins, which came when the two met in the NCAA Championship East Regional last season. He allowed one run on two hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out one in 1.1 innings of work.

Based on the usage of its pitching staff in recent weeks, Le Moyne may opt to counter with senior right-hander Max Tessitore, who would be making his first career postseason appearance on the mound.

Tessitore spent much of the season working out of the bullpen and has made 12 appearances, including three starts, to total 37.1 innings. He has surrendered 27 runs (22 earned) on 44 hits, walked 20 and struck out 18 (4.34 per nine innings) on the way to a 5.30 ERA and a 3-3 record.

Tessitore has not pitched against Franklin Pierce in his career.

Earlier this Season

The two teams met for a cross-division NE10 doubleheader at Pappas Field in Rindge on April 6, with the Dolphins posting a pair of wins, 16-12 and 8-1. It took Franklin Pierce eight pitchers and nearly 400 pitches to get through the twinbill, as the Ravens struggled to limit the scoring. The Dolphins used an eight-run fifth to take control of the first game and then got a four-hit complete game from Murphy to take care of business in the second game.

Previously in the Postseason

The Ravens and the Dolphins have met four times in postseason play, including twice in the NE10 Championship, with Le Moyne holding a 3-1 edge overall and a 2-0 advantage in the conference tournament.

Three of the four previous postseason meetings came in 2012, when Le Moyne had Franklin Pierce's number. The Dolphins defeated the Ravens twice on Championship Sunday, 6-5 and 4-2, to claim the NE10 title, then followed up a week later with a 6-2 win to eliminate Franklin Pierce from the NCAA Championship East Regional as well. In NE10 Championship play that year, the Ravens had a ninth-inning rally come up just short, stranding the tying run at second in the first game, and then the Dolphins took the lead for good in the second game with a two-run single inside the right-field line by Paul Speicher as part of a three-run seventh inning.

The most recent postseason meeting between the two was just last season though, in the East Regional. Zach Hart fired a complete-game six-hitter to lead the Ravens to a 6-2 win in the elimination contest.

Headed to the Game?

If you plan on making the trip to the Emerald City on Thursday, directions to Onondaga Community College and maps of the Syracuse campus can be found here: http://www.sunyocc.edu/index.aspx?menu=807&id=1817

Ticket prices are set as follows: 

Adults - $6
Children/Seniors - $4
Students (with valid ID from NE10 institutions) - $1

Per Conference policy, no complimentary admissions will be issued.

How to Follow Along

If you prefer to follow the action from home, from work or from elsewhere, live stats will be available.

Live stats: http://www.lemoynedolphins.com/sidearmstats/baseball

Up Next

The winner of Thursday's contest will advance into the winner's bracket and will advance to play on Friday at noon, against the winner of Thursday's first game, which features Merrimack and Southern Connecticut State, the third seed out of the Northeast Division and the fourth seed out of the Southwest, respectively. The Merrimack/SCSU contest is set for 10 a.m. Thursday.

The losers of Thursday's first two games will meet later on Thursday in the first elimination game of the weekend, scheduled for approximately 5 p.m.

Following the winner's bracket game on Friday will be a second elimination game at 3:30 p.m., after which the participants will be set for Championship Saturday, which is set to begin at noon.

Game times for Friday and Saturday are subject to change, due to the potential for wet weather in the Syracuse area. More details will be communicated as they become available. 

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).