WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – - The William & Mary baseball team returns to Plumeri Park for a seven-game homestand starting with a three-game CAA series against James Madison this weekend. The series is slated for games on
Friday, April 12 at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 13 at 4 p.m., and Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m.
Promotions:
Friday - Dane Fischer First Pitch - New head basketball coach
Dane Fischer will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at 3:45 p.m., prior to the game with the Dukes
Saturday - Strike Out ALS Day - Join us as we fight to "Strike Out ALS" and learn more about this important cause. Fans can enter a raffle for great prizes throughout the game!
Saturday - Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day - All faculty/staff will receive discounted $2 tickets by using promo code WMSTAFF online!
Sunday - Scout Day - All scouts are invited to come cheer on the Tribe! Scouts who arrive in uniform with receive a discounted $2 tickets!
Sunday - Postgame Youth Clinic - All kids 12 & under are invited to participate in an instructional clinic put on by the team after the game!
W&M News and Notes
- W&M and James Madison will meet for the 120th through the 122nd time in series history this weekend. The Dukes lead the all-time series 76-43, including sweeping the three-game series in Harrisonburg last year. Senior
Hunter Smith led W&M in the series going for 2-for-9 with three RBI.
- Sophomore
Randy Prosperi has been one of the hottest arms out of the Tribe bullpen of late. At George Washington on Wednesday, the sophomore threw 1.2 innings, including getting the Tribe out of a bases-loaded jam. It marked his fifth straight scoreless appearance, and he has allowed just one run in his last 13 innings of work. For the season, he has posted a 1.89 ERA in 19.0 innings with 19 K's.
- W&M turned double plays in the third and eighth innings on Wednesday marking the eighth time this season the Tribe recorded multiple double plays in a game. For the season, the Tribe pitching staff and defense has turned 28 double plays, which ranks second in the CAA and 34th nationally.
- Senior
Bodie Sheehan has been one of the Tribe's all-time most consistent pitchers during his career. He took a perfect game bid into the sixth inning at Delaware Saturday, after coming off his best start of the year against UNCW. He has recorded five quality starts in of his eight starts this season. The Virginia Beach, Va. native has now made 52 starts and needs only three more to become the program's all-time leader. Sheehan also became the seventh W&M pitcher to surpass 300 career innings and the 13th to eclipse 200 career strikeouts.
- Redshirt junior
Chris Farrell has been established as one of the top closers in the CAA. The right-handed pitcher ranks fourth in the league after locking down his fourth save on March 31. Farrell has 25 strikeouts in just 16.1 innings, holds a .203 opposing batting average, and a 2.20 ERA.
- Freshman
Zach Tsakounis was honored with his second CAA Rookie of the Week Award for the week of April 1. He scattered six hit through six scoreless innings and fanned four batters in a win at UNCW. The Tribe has claimed four CAA awards with three of them going to a pitcher. Freshman righty
Tristan Snyder also claimed Rookie of the Week accolades on Feb. 19, while sophomore
Matt McDermott was named Player of the Week for March 5.
- On the offensive end, the Tribe leads the CAA with 205 runs scored. The team has put at least eight runs on the scoreboard in 12 games, going 10-2. W&M ranks among the nation's best in doubles (71) and triples (13). The Green and Gold's 71 two-baggers rank 14th in the NCAA, while its 13 triples are 15th in the nation.
- Senior
Hunter Smith has been the Tribe's best offensive threat. The catcher sits first in the conference in both slugging percentage (.615) and home runs (8). Smith has already homered twice in a game on three occasions. The Caldwell, N.J., product stands 12th in W&M history with 24 career homers. With 193 career hits, Smith needs seven more to join the 200-career hits club.
- Classmate
Zach Pearson enjoyed the best game of his career after finishing 4-for-5 with four RBI and a double at UNCW (3/30). Pearson established a new career-high in hits and tied his personal-best in RBI. The senior leads the team with a .324 batting average, which ranks him seventh in the league. Pearson also is tops on the team with 11 multi-hit games, including one at George Washington on Wednesday.
- Senior
Owen Socher has started nine of the last 10 games in left field and took full advantage of the opportunity. During the stretch, Socher leads the team on a .355 batting average (11-for-31), adding three doubles, two triples, and three RBI. He is also reached base in a team-high 19 straight games.
- The Tribe claimed its third Power Five win of the season after topping Maryland 8-1 on Wednesday at Plumeri Park. Previously, the Tribe has topped the Big 12's West Virginia 6-4 on March 16 and topped the ACC's Virginia 9-3 on Feb. 26.
- Plumeri Park, the home of the Tribe Baseball, turns 20 this spring. The anniversary will be celebrated and recognized over the course of the season. The facility was constructed in large part due to the generous donation by Mr. Joseph J. Plumeri II in the autumn of 1996. It is now considered one of the finest baseball facilities in the region, consistently receiving upgrades over the course of time. W&M has enjoyed a lot of success at Plumeri Park with a 389-202 (.658) since its completion.
