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Millersville

cole friese at dish

Baseball hosts Clarion for 2021 season-opening doubleheader

| By: Bryan Kast, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant
  • Series: 8-1 (.889)
  • Series Streak: Millersville, 5
  • First Meeting: 2011 (W, 7-1)
  • Last Meeting: 2019 (W, 9-0)  | Game Story

ABOUT THE GAMES

  • For the first time since 2007, Millersville baseball opens the season at home within the friendly confines of Cooper Park. The Marauders last took the field for a game that counted on March 8, 2020: a 6-3 home victory over LeMoyne College. The COVID-19 pandemic ended the season shortly after that, with the Ville's final 2020 record standing at 14-4. Clarion's last contest was also on March 8 and the Golden Eagles' 2020 record was 3-12.
  • Millersville's lineup has remained largely intact from a year ago. Of the nine position players that started the team's final game in 2020, eight remain on the roster, including two fifth-year players who utilized the extra year of eligibility given by the NCAA: shortstop Eric Callahan and centerfielder Cole Friese.
  • The Marauders sported two of the hottest hitters in the entire conference when the 2020 season ended: junior second baseman Jimmy Losh (.492, 1 HR, 2 2B, 15 RBI, 8 SB, 24 R) and senior catcher Luke Trainer (.415, 3 HR, 4 2B, 22 RBI, 2 SB, 16 R) will look to build on that success in 2021.
  • Similarly, the Ville's top two starting pitchers were off to spectacular starts to 2020. Senior Jeff Taylor (1-0, 2.63 ERA, 24.0 IP, 33 K) and junior Alex Mykut (2-0, 0.95 ERA, 19.0 IP, 32 K) are both probable starters for this weekend's doubleheader.

 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

  • The Golden Eagles' top two returning hitters are senior catcher Thomas Lavin (.354, 10 RBIs, four doubles) and senior infielder Alex Ficorilli (.320, seven RBIs, five doubles).
  • On the bump, Clarion's top returning starter is senior right-hander Dereck Pritchard (3.48 ERA, 20.2 IP, 12 K in three 2020 starts).
  • Clarion was voted to finish No. 8 in the PSAC West Preseason Poll.
Last year left a bitter taste in everyone's mouths and being back out there means so much to the team. We've been doing our best on and off the field to have a successful season.
Jeff Taylor, Millersville senior pitcher

SERIES HISTORY

  • Clarion has only beaten Millersville one time--a 1-0 victory on March 9, 2012--and lost the other eight meetings by a combined score of 65-13. 
  • The Golden Eagles have never scored more than five runs against the Marauders.
  • The two teams most recently met in 2019, with Millersville sweeping a pair of games 16-2 and 9-0. For the series, Luke Trainer totaled three hits, three runs scored and three RBIs.
     

RECORD WATCH

  • Cole Friese is close to climbing multiple all-time school record lists in 2021. If he legs out a triple at any point during the season he will tie Chas McCormick and Dan Neff for the most ever by a Marauder with 11. 
  • He is also one stolen base away from tying Ryan McCormick for fifth-most in program history. 
  • Friese already holds the No. 8 spot in all-time runs scored (153) and is tied for ninth on the all-time home run list (19).
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Upcoming Schedule

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