NEW YORK – The Columbia baseball team makes a short trip to Queens to take on St. John's at Jack Kaiser Stadium on Wednesday, April 3, in non-conference action. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.
COLUMBIA'S STATUS
• The Lions won their second consecutive Ivy League series, taking 2-of-3 against Dartmouth over the weekend. The teams combined to score 77 runs in the three-game set.
• Chandler Bengtson tied Columbia's career home run record with his 25th dinger Sunday in the finale. Bengtson went on to be named a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week for his efforts.
• Junior outfielder Julian Bury ranks as the eighth toughest batter to strike out in the nation, fanning just once per 17.4 at-bats.
• Junior AJ DiFillipo is No. 7 in the NCAA with four triples on the season. The Peabody, Massachusetts, native is second on the team with 14 RBI.
• Senior Joe Engel is riding a 26-game streak of reaching base, which dates back to the final six games of the 2018 season.
ST. JOHN'S STATUS
• The Red Storm are winners of nine of their last 10 heading into a Tuesday matchup with Saint Peter's.
• St. John's is 6-0 at Jack Kaiser Stadium on the year.
• Wyatt Mascarella is hitting .300 with three doubles and a team-high 12 RBI. Sean McGeehan holds the team lead with three homers.
• Left-hander Nick Mondak is slated to get the start for the Red Storm. He has made just one appearance, taking a loss and giving up two runs (one earned) in an inning of work at UCLA.
• St. John's boasts a team ERA of 3.48 and has racked up 188 strikeouts, but have walked 104 batters.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday will be the 42nd meeting all-time between the Lions and the Red Storm, with the Johnnies holding a 27-14 advantage. However, Columbia has won seven-straight in the series. Last year, the Lions edged St. John's, 7-6, at Robertson Field. Columbia trailed by as many as three runs, but put up three-spots in the fifth and sixth innings to claim the lead for good. Matt Cerfolio drove in three runs and Bengtson drove in a pair.
UP NEXT
The Lions will remain on the road for a three-game series at Princeton this weekend. The teams will meet for a Saturday twinbill on April 6, beginning at 11:30 a.m. and will conclude Sunday, April 7, with a single game at noon.
