Baseball Entertains St. Joseph’s in GNAC, Home Opener, Visits Lasell

BOSTON – The Suffolk baseball team has an action packed weekend in store as the Rams open their home and GNAC slate Saturday afternoon against Saint Joseph's (Maine) and travel to Lasell Sunday. Suffolk and the Monks' first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m., while game time on Sunday is set for 4 p.m. 

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LAST TIME OUT
In a match-up between two of the best teams in New England, Suffolk baseball hung on for a 5-4 victory over Endicott Wednesday afternoon at the Gulls' North Field.

MORE READING: Baseball Clings to 5-4 Victory at Endicott

RUN DOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk, who is receiving votes in the D3Baseball.com Top 25 Poll and is ranked fifth in the NEIBA, won its third straight Wednesday to improve to 14-4, the Rams' best record 17 games into a season since matching that ledger in 2013.

Brady Chant leads the team in hits (29), runs (18) and triples (4) and Jon Lapolla paces the squad in RBI (19) and stolen bases (8). The reigning GNAC Corvias Player of the Week, Drew Carter, has been a huge contributor at the dish for the Rams through the first 18 games as the senior boasts team-best numbers in batting average (.426), on-base percentage (.527) and slugging percentage (.590), off 26 hits, including a team-high seven doubles, 17 RBI and 11 runs.  

On the bump, Suffolk's staff has combined for a 2.96 ERA, the best in the conference. Worth Walrod and Kevin Sinatra anchor the staff as the sophomore and freshman are each 3-0 thanks with 1.35 ERA and a 2.12 ERA, respectively. Chuck Gibson and Jake Frasca are also undefeated on the bump with the junior and first-year boasting 2-0 ledgers a piece. Gibson's ERA of 1.64 and 22 punch outs each land second on the team. Kyle Turner leads the team in strikeouts (28) and innings pitched (31.1). 

SETH SHATTERS IT
At Endicott April 6, Seth Coiley led off the fourth inning in style. The sophomore's second at bat extended his hit streak to two thanks to a long ball over the left field fence to break open a scoreless tie. Coiley's homer is the second of the second, in as many games and of his collegiate career. The Arlington, Massachusetts product is the first Ram to strike back-to-back home runs since the ABCA/Rawlings second-team All-American Mike Cunningham '13 did so three times in his senior campaign in 2013 with the last coming April 21-22 against Johnson & Wales and Albertus Magnus, respectively. 

IMPROVING THIEVES
Last season Suffolk stole 54 bases all year, but in just 18 games this season the Rams have successfully stole 40 bags, the most in the GNAC and have been caught in the act 11 times. On the flip side, Suffolk opponents have just 22 steals in 27 attempts. 

Jon Lapolla's team-best eight steals are good for third amongst GNAC players with Brady Chant's and Rob Marks' six each tie for fourth in the conference. Sean Cameron is also in the league's top ten stealers, grabbing five to tie for eighth.

THE .300 CLUB
Nearing the midpoint of the season, five Suffolk batters are swinging the bat well, hitting .300 or better in 2.5 dish appearances per game: Drew Carter (.426), Brady Chant (.382), Seth Coiley (.304), Jon Lapolla (.394) and Rob Marks (.383).

As a team, the Rams are hitting .340, the second-best average in the league, and the 16th highest amongst all Division III programs.

The three top hitters for Suffolk – Carter, Lapolla and Marks - rank amongst the GNAC's best bats. Carter is first (.426), Lapolla is seventh (.394) and Marks is 10th (.383).  

TEN HITS AND COUNTING
The Rams have put together double-digit hits in 77.8 percent (14-18) of their games this season, including seven straight contests with double figure hits from March 16 through March 26. Suffolk is averaging 11.7 hits per game, the most in the GNAC, this season. Suffolk produced a season-best 23 in an 18-4 win against Clarkson March 13, the most by the blue-and-gold since it tallied 26 over Norwich three years ago (April 24, 2013). 

WALKIN' OFF
Senior co-captain Jon Lapolla's two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Suffolk past Montclair State, 4-3 in a walk-off win. The Rams had two walk-off victories in 2015, with the most important coming in the 13th inning over Johnson & Wales in the GNAC Championship game. 

FOUR HOMERS AND THREE YEARS AGO
Four different Rams combined to hit four balls out of the park at Curry, the most home runs by a Suffolk squad since matching that number in a 14-0 victory over Rivier April 7, 2013. 

HERO OF THE WEEK
Jon Lapolla continues to have a superior senior season as the Providence, Rhode Island native won a national poll conducted by HeroSports.com as the National Offensive HERO of the Week in Division III baseball March 29.

Lapolla was nominated for the honor on the heels of a 6-2 second Spring Break leg for the Rams and his first GNAC Corvias Player of the Week accolade of his storied career. The 6-foot-2 infielder beat out his competition, grabbing 87 percent of the votes, more than 130 than the second-place finisher with 146 of the near 200 submitted.

MORE READING: Lapolla Wins Vote, Named HeroSports DIII Offensive HERO of the Week  

CORVIAS ECAC DIII ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
After turning in a five-run, four-RBI performance over the course of Suffolk baseball's three wins last week, the ECAC recognized Jake Frasca as Division III New England Rookie of the Week.

MORE READING: Frasca Recognized as Corvias ECAC DIII Rookie of the Week  

WEEKLY HONORS
Every week that Suffolk has been in action (four) a Ram student-athlete has been recognized for their efforts by the GNAC with the blue-and-gold earning 40 percent (6-for-15) of the conference's weekly awards. Worth Walrod's two pitcher of the week accolades lead the way with Jon Lapolla and Drew Carter each being named player of the week March 21 and April 4, respectively. Jake Frasca and Kevin Sinatra each picked up their first weekly awards of their collegiate careers with Frasca being tabbed the best rookie over a seven day stretch and Sinatra earning the best hurler nod March 28. 

MONKS' MENTIONABLES
Saint Joseph's enters the weekend on a tear, winning four of its last five including a 16-2 trounced of Husson Wednesday, which saw the Monks drill three jacks.

Jameson Collins has been the driving force for an offense that average 6.7 runs per game. The junior first baseman has four home runs and 22 RBI in 15 games, while Taylor Reuillard has driven in a team-high 23 runs and homered twice.

The Monks have a staff ERA of 4.43 and they are led on the mound by Josh Partridge and Grayson Jennings. Partridge is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 23.0 innings on the hill, while Jennings is 1-1 with 17 Ks and a 3.72 ERA in 19.1 innings over three starts.

LOOK AT THE LASERS
Lasell (8-8) has won four of its last five heading into conference play this weekend, including a 4-1 victory in its last outing at Emerson March 31. Prior to facing the Rams, the Laswers with host Albertus Magnus in their GNAC opener Saturday.

Wes Hurty is pacing the Lasers' offense, hitting .415 with a homer and 17 RBI Skyler Beckerman and Brett Sherron each have 18 hits to their credit with Beckerman plating 10 runs and Sherrong bringing in 12. Hurty, Beckerman and Sherron have each crossed home nine times apiece; while Tyler Flaherty (.263) boasts a team-best 15 runs.

Lasell's main starter Josh Bahnick is 1-2 with a .366 ERA to go with eight strikeouts in 19.2 innings of Work. Casey Johnson (2-1) and Gary Trottier (1-2) have each started on the hill three times for the Lasers. Johnson boasts a 7.65 ERA in 20 innings, but has the fanned the most (19). Trottier (11.02 ERA), meanwhile, has seen the most competition with seven appearances. 

COMING UP
Suffolk will step out of conference play for mid-week action, first stopping by Mass Maritime Tuesday, April 12, before traveling to Eastern Connecticut State Wednesday, April 13.