WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary baseball returns to Plumeri Park to open a three-game weekend series against Fordham, featuring a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 8, and the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
After making an impressive 8-1 run to start the season, the Tribe have fallen in their three most recent contests and look to return to the win column at home this weekend.
The Tribe Sports Network is providing a free audio broadcast that is available at
TribeAthletics.com/ListenLive. Coverage begins approximately 10 minutes prior to scheduled first pitch, with insights from Head Coach
Mike McRae and his staff.
Single-game tickets can be purchased at
TribeAthletics.com.
Clear Bag Policy
William & Mary Athletics, in conjunction with the William & Mary Police Department, has implemented a clear bag policy that regulates the size and type of bag that may be carried into W&M Athletics facilities during the 2023-24 year, including Busch Field, Kaplan Arena, Martin Family Stadium, Plumeri Park, and Zable Stadium. Information as well as approved and prohibited items is available at
TribeAthletics.com.
On the Bump
Friday (Game 1): RHP Declan Lavelle (1-1) vs. RHP
Nate Knowles (1-0)
Friday (Game 2): TBA vs. RHP
Reed Interdonato (1-0)
Sunday: RHP Koen Smith (0-0) vs. RHP
Alex Markus (0-1)
Knowles will make his fifth start for the Tribe in Friday's first game. In his first four appearances, the junior has allowed only two earned runs and 10 hits, none for extra bases, over 13.0 innings of work for a 1.38 ERA. His 23 strikeouts pace the team, as he's fanned five in each outing following his eight-strikeout opening night.
Interdonato is scheduled to make his first start in the Green & Gold in the second game of Friday's doubleheader. With a 1-0 record and a save in his first three appearances out of the bullpen, Interdonato has posted a 5.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 9.0 innings.
On Sunday, Markus will round out the Tribe's rotation with his second start of the week, and his fifth on the year. He has posted a 2.19 ERA, striking out 19 and allowing only seven hits and three earned runs over 12.1 innings.
Last Time Out
The Tribe fell in their previous contest at Old Dominion, 6-2, on Tuesday to drop to an overall record of 8-4 on the season.
Lucas Carmichael went a perfect 2-2 and drove in both of the Tribe's runs on the day. His two-hit day was joined by a pair from freshman infielder
Kevin Francella.
Alex Markus got the nod for the Tribe, tossing a perfect first inning to start. In his outing, Markus allowed only one earned run and three hits over his 3.0 innings of work while fanning four Monarchs.
Averaging nearly 8.5 runs per game entering Tuesday's contest, the Tribe have only been held to two runs in one other game this season - an opening-night, 4-2 loss which directly preceded an eight-game win streak.
League Leaders
The Tribe leads the CAA in five different statistics, ranking in the top 20 in the nation in three of those.
The pitching staff, which has put together an impressive season thus far, ranks at No. 10 in the NCAA in hits allowed per nine innings (6.48) and No. 18 in the nation strikeouts per nine innings (11.5). They also have a CAA-leading strikeout to walk ratio of 2.63.
Offensively, the Tribe sit at No. 15 in the nation and pace the conference with 29 HBPs as well as hold the league lead with a .425 on-base percentage.
Individually among the nation's top 20,
Mark Hindy's 3.00 hits per nine innings is No. 9 and his 0.58 WHIP sits at No. 13 overall.
Nate Knowles' 15.92 strikeouts per nine innings is No. 16 nationally and leads the conference.
Jerry Barnes III also ranks atop the NCAA with his eight HBP (No. 8) and 0.73 HBP per game (No. 12).
Offensive Streaks
Outfielder duo of
Joe Delossantos and
Ben Parker have reached base in every one of the Tribe's 12 games to date. The pair have combined for 12 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games, posing a dangerous offensive threat at the top of the Tribe's lineup.
The only two players to start all of the Tribe's games, Parker has made every start hitting in the second spot, while Delossantos has started in the third spot in 11 games.
Delossantos paces the Tribe with his .420 batting average, 21 hits, four home runs and 15 RBI. Parker's 15 hits, three home runs and 14 runs are second on the team. The two are tied for the Tribe lead with 10 walks.
In The Polls
For the second consecutive week, W&M has received votes in the NCBWA Top 25 Poll. The last time the Tribe appeared in polls was the final week of the 2013 season, in which they were named No. 28 by Collegiate Baseball and received votes in the NCBWA & USA Today polls.
For the first time in recorded program history last week, the Green & Gold saw game action as a team receiving votes in national polls.
The Matchup
The two teams have only faced off once before, and never in this century, as the lone meeting between W&M and Fordham was a 1913 game in New York, N.Y., in which the Tribe fell 13-2.
The Rams are 2-9 so far this season, picking up wins against Army West Point and Saint Peter's. They have fallen in their previous four games, arriving to W&M looking to break their losing streak.
For the second weekend in a row, the Rams will open the series with a doubleheader, last weekend dropping 6-3 and 29-3 games to Wofford.
Ryan Theisse leads the Rams' offense, hitting .308, and has starting all 11 games for Fordham. He has produced 12 hits, including a double, six runs and three RBI. Graduate students Andrew Kanelllis and Steve Luttazi have belted a pair of home runs for the Rams. Of Lutazzi's five hits, four have been for extra bases, including his two homers and he has added five RBI for Fordham.
Up Next
The Tribe will return to the road for a pair of midweek games next week at No. 13 Virginia on Tuesday, March 12, and at Longwood on Wednesday, March 13.
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