Baseball’s Quest for CCC Crown Starts at Endicott in POD Finals

Baseball’s Quest for CCC Crown Starts at Endicott in POD Finals

SATURDAY, MAY 1 // 12 PM & 3 PM
NORTH FIELD // BEVERLY, MASS.
GAME 1 // LIVE STATS // VIDEO
GAME 2 // LIVE STATS // VIDEO

SUNDAY, MAY 2 // 12 PM // IF NECESSARY
NORTH FIELD // BEVERLY, MASS.
LIVE STATS // VIDEO

EYES ON THE GAME
SERIES RECORD // SUFFOLK TRAILS, 14-20
LAST MEETING // APRIL 18, 2021, W, 14-9
LAST SUFFOLK WIN // SAME
STREAK // W1


BOSTON – Suffolk baseball aims for the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship as the Rams begin CCC tournament play in a best-of-three series at Endicott.

The second-seeded Rams, who are in the first year in the CCC, will battle the top-ranked Gulls in the POD B finals over the weekend at North Field in Beverly, Massachusetts. The foes will face one another in doubleheader Saturday, May 1 with an if-necessary bout scheduled for Sunday, May 2. Action each day is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. 

All games will be nine-inning battles. Endicott will host each outing, however, Suffolk will be the designated home team in Saturday's nightcap and bat schedule.

SPECTATOR SECTION
With a strict no spectator policy set for the 2020-21 athletic season, here's how fans can follow Suffolk game-day action.

  SATURDAY, MAY 1   SUNDAY, MAY 2
    Game 1   Game 2   If Necessary
Broadcast   Endicott Stretch   Endicott Stretch   Endicott Stretch
             
Statistics   Stats     Stats   Stats
             
Twitter   GoSuffolkRams   GoSuffolkRams   GoSuffolkRams


SOCIAL SAYINGS

Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

For an insider look at Suffolk softball, Ram Nation can subscribe to @suffolku_bsb on Instagram and Twitter.

     


2021 CCC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

POD A FINALS
Saturday, May 1
Game 1: #2 Roger Williams at #1 Salve Regina – 11:30 a.m. – Live StatsLive Video
Game 2: #2 Roger Williams (home) at #1 Salve Regina (away) – 2:30 p.m. – Live StatsLive Video
Sunday, May 2
Game 3 (if necessary): #2 Roger Williams at #1 Salve Regina – 11:30 a.m. – Live StatsLive Video 

POD B FINALS
Saturday, May 1
Game 1: #2 Suffolk at #1 Endicott – 12:00 p.m. – Live StatsLive Video
Game 2: #2 Suffolk (home) at #1 Endicott (away) – 3:00 p.m. – Live StatsLive Video
Sunday, May 2
Game 3 (if necessary): #2 Suffolk at #1 Endicott – 12:00 p.m. – Live StatsLive Video 

CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, May 8
Game 1: Winner Pod A vs. Winner Pod B
Game 2: Winner Pod A vs. Winner Pod B
Sunday, May 9
Game 3 (if necessary): Winner Pod A vs. Winner Pod B

SUFFOLK IN THE CCC TOURNAMENT
The Rams, who are in their first year in the CCC, will make their inaugural debut in the league's tournament.

LAST TIME OUT
In a staff day for the Rams and Hawks, Suffolk baseball could not figure out the consistently switching arms on the hills and fell to Roger Williams, 12-5, Wednesday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park.  

MORE READING: Roger Williams Defeats Baseball in Regular-Season Finale, 12-5

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk wrapped up the second seed in the POD B finals behind a 4-4 CCC ledger. Although tied with Wentworth, the Rams won the tiebreaker that looked at results against top-seeded Endicott, which Suffolk split the regular-season series with the Gulls, to secure the spot in the playoffs. Overall, the blue-and-gold is 11-9 on the season. 

Tim Brigham and Christian Seariac have each produced 27 hits and 13 RBI this season to lead Suffolk's 116-run offense. Seariac is batting .474, while Brigham is hitting .346. Brigham has a knack for extra-base knocks, especially doubles, with 14 of his 27 hits good for more bases highlighted by 12 for two bags. Blase Cormier has also contributed 20-pluts hits with 24 to his credit to go along with a team-best 15 runs scored and seven RBI. 

Suffolk will look to junior pitchers Steven Rossi and EJ Birch to start things off. Birch brings in a 0.90 ERA with 20.0 innings of work under his belt scattered over six outings including two starts. The right-hander has sat down 17 batters. Rossi, meanwhile, has registered a 3.07 ERA in 29.1 innings with a staff-best 25 Ks. Michael Muscarella (6.04 ERA, 22.1 IP, 15 Ks) and Parker Browne (6.46 ERA, 23.2 IP, 15 Ks) are likely to toss for the Rams as well.

GET TO KNOW THE GULLS
Endicott, the six-time CCC Champion, will be a tough opponent for Suffolk to start the post season play against as the Gulls (13-6) ride a three-game win streak into the series. 

Similar to Suffolk, Endicott has a trio of batters with 20-plus hits. Caleb Shpur, who is hitting .403, paces the pack with 25 hits, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored. The sophomore is also stealthy on the bags with eight stolen bases. Jake Nardone has added 23 hits, 23 RBI and 14 runs scored, while Kyle Grabowski has pitched in 20 hits, 16 RBI and nine runs scored. 

The Gulls will likely start Michael Kozlowski and Rian Schwede Saturday. Kozlowski holds a 2.27 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 31.2 innings in seven appearances, six starts. Schwede, who has taken the hill in seven games, starting five, has built a 5.47 ERA and sat down 26 batters. Cooper Anibal (2.25 ERA, 12.0 IP, 9 Ks), Nicholas Cannata (4.58 ERA, 17.2 IP, 15 Ks) and Noah Therrien (1.59 ERA, 5.2 ERA, 5 Ks) will likely come in sometime over the weekend as well.

WE MEET AGAIN
Suffolk and Endicott are familiar foes this season as the conference counterparts have met six times. The opponents split those meetings. The Rams swept the Gulls in the first outing in Beverly, Massachusetts, April 7, before EC returned the favor in Eastie April 17. The teams then split the non-conference double feature the following day. Suffolk took the last meeting, 14-9.

INSIDE THE SERIES

  • Suffolk sits 14-20 all-time against Endicott.
  • The Rams first and only sweep of the Gulls in a doubleheader came earlier this season at North Field, April 7, 2021.
  • All, but seven games in the series have happened in Beverly, Massachusetts. Suffolk is 12-15 when playing on the Gulls turf.
  • As the home team Suffolk is 0-5 versus Endicott and on neutral turn the Rams are unbeaten versus EC, 2-0.
  • In the Anthony Del Prete era, Suffolk is 7-9 versus the Gulls.

EYES ON THE GAME

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The winner of the weekend, best-of-three series advances to the CCC Championship next weekend May 8-9 against the victor of the Roger Williams, Salve Regina showdown.