Tuesday, March 15
Lake Charles, La.
7:00 P.M.
Columbia University
at
McNeese
Photo by: Michael Sudhalter
Columbia Set For Pair Of Midweek Games
3/14/2022 5:48:00 PM | Baseball
Columbia Baseball travels to McNeese on Tuesday, Mar. 15 and Incarnate Word on Wednesday, Mar. 16.
LAKE CHARLES, La./SAN ANTONIO — After a weekend in Waco, Texas, Columbia Baseball (4-6 0-0 IVY) will play its first midweek games of the season with a quick turnaround and visit to McNeese (9-7, 0-0 SLC) on Tuesday, Mar. 15 before heading back into Texas to face Incarnate Word (7-5, 0-0 SLC) on Wednesday, Mar. 16.
Columbia's game in Lake Charles, Louisiana will get going at 7 p.m. EST, while the game in San Antonio, Texas against Incarnate Word is scheduled to get going at 7:30 p.m. EST.
HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
at McNeese (7 p.m. EST) – Live Stats | Watch (YouTube) | Social Media (@culionsbaseball)
at Incarnate Word (7:30 p.m. EST) – Live Stats | Watch (UIWCardinals.com) | Listen | Social Media (@culionsbaseball)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS:
at McNeese: Derek Yoo (RHP/COL) – Chance Stone (RHP/MCN)
at Incarnate Word: TBA - TBA
LAST TIME OUT: Columbia enters the pair of midweek games having played a three-game weekend series at Baylor where the Lions battled hard, taking the second game of a Saturday (Mar. 12) DH with an offensive outburst in the form of an 11-4 win.
SERIES MATCHUP: This will be the first time that Columbia has faced both McNeese and Incarnate Word on the diamond.
WHAT THE COWBOYS BRING: The Cowboys come into Tuesday's game having dropped three out of their last four games, which included a 6-3 loss at No. 6 LSU on Mar. 9. McNeese's last win came over CS Northridge, when they won 4-3 at home on Mar. 12.
WHAT THE CARDINALS BRING: Incarnate Word will bring a three-game winning streak into the week, having swept UT Arlington over the weekend (Mar. 12-13) at home. UIW wrapped up the sweep with a 15-2 Sunday win over the Mavericks. They will host UTRGV on Mar. 15 before welcoming the Lions to San Antonio at Sullivan Field.
MILESTONES AHEAD: Brett Boretti reached the 400-win plateau last season and his 298 wins with the Lions are second all-time, with Boretti making the move up from third in Columbia's weekend at Davidson. Boretti now sits three wins away from 300 career wins with Columbia, becoming only the second coach to ever reach that mark.
Boretti's 168 Ivy League wins and .596 winning percentage in conference play are both program benchmarks.
FIRST TRIP TO LAKE CHARLES: After the weekend in Waco, Columbia will quickly hop across the state line to Louisiana to face McNeese in an early midweek game on Mar. 15. The match up with the Cowboys will be the first time the Lions have visited Lake Charles, and the first time they have played McNeese.
It will also be the second time the Lions have ever played a school from Louisiana and the second time playing in Louisiana. The first and only coming in a three-game series against Tulane in 2017.
BACK IN TEXAS: Columbia has been to Texas before, but it's the first time since 2018 that the Lions have visited the Lone Star State. All-time this will be the sixth time the Lions have swung through the state with the Lions heading on to face Incarnate Word (Mar. 16) and Houston (Mar. 18-20).
Baylor will be the ninth team from Texas the Lions have ever faced. Columbia has battled with Houston, Lamar, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas A&M CC, UT Arlington, UT San Antonio and Texas Tech.
BURSTING OUT: Columbia exploded for 11 runs, 10 unanswered, in its 11-4 win over Baylor in the second half of a doubleheader. They were the most runs scored by a Lions team since scoring 15 at Army on May 1, 2019.
KNOCKING OF THE BIG12: Columbia's 11-4 win over Baylor was not just Columbia's first win over Baylor in program history, it was the first win over a BIG12 program in the long history of Columbia Baseball.
SOLO SPEED: In the final game of the three-game series at Baylor, Joshua Solomon was on his giddy-up, collecting a career-high three stolen bases. Including snagging two in one inning when he stole second and third in the top of the 10th inning.
SPEEDY LIONS: Columbia was active on the base paths over the weekend in Waco, stealing eight bags, while only getting caught once. They swiped five bags in Sunday's series finale and three in the 11-4 Saturday night win.
FLASHING THE LEATHER: In the three games in Waco, Columbia's defense was a strong part of their game, committing just one error over the weekend. As a team, they are out fielding their opponents by a clip of .974 to .970.
BLAKE POWERS THE LINEUP: Starting nine games as the DH and batting in the two spot, Andy Blake has been the power charge in the Lions offense sitting second in the Ivy League in home runs with three hit so far this year. He's also collected nine RBIs, second-most in the league.
DEFENSIVE LIONS: Davidson averaged 5.8 runs per game, but over the four-game series against Columbia, the Wildcats could only average 4.8 runs per game.
HOMECOMING: Columbia Head Coach Brett Boretti returned to his old stomping grounds when the Lions visited Davidson. A 1994 graduate from Davidson, Boretti was a two-time First Team All-Southern Conference honoree and was inducted into the Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2010.
LIONS HIT DINGERS: Over the weekend of Mar. 4-6 at Davidson, Columbia crushed five home runs en route to splitting the four-game series. The Lions got one in the first game of Saturday's DH, and followed that up with two dingers in the second game of the DH and two more in the final game of the weekend.
Columbia got a pair from Andy Blake and Joshua Solomon, along with Skye Selinsky. It's the first time since 2019 (at Cornell) that Columbia has had back-to-back games with at least two home runs.
FINALLY BACK: The Lions last took to the field on Mar. 8, 2020 in the final game of a four game series they played at Nebraska. When they take the field at Stetson, it will be the first time they have played in 719 days.
"It was good to get everyone back in the fall," said head coach Brett Boretti. "The team has had great leadership over the past two years and there is a lot of anticipation ahead of opening day to get back on the field.
"It's part one of the season, as we try and figure out what everyone's rolls are and what are best lineups are. We've got a lot of new guys, but this opening weekend will be a great test to see what we have versatility wise."
PRESEASON PICKS: Columbia was picked to finish second in the Ivy League preseason poll. The Lions, who tied with Yale for the most first-place votes at five, finished six points ahead of Penn, who were picked to finish third.
2022 Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Yale – 107 (5)
2. Columbia – 102 (5)
3. Penn – 96 (4)
4. Harvard – 92 (2)
5. Dartmouth – 72
6. Princeton – 47
7. Brown – 35
8. Cornell –25
DID YOU KNOW: Every student-athlete that has played for head coach Brett Boretti's in his 15-year tenure, and remained on Columbia's roster for at least three years, has either won a conference title or competed in an Ivy League Playoff Series.
LIONS IN THE PROS: Columbia currently has one player in the professional ranks as Josh Simpson '19CC, a left-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2019, remains in their system having spent time pitching as high as Single-A ball.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Baseball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsBaseball), Instagram (@culionsbaseball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Columbia's game in Lake Charles, Louisiana will get going at 7 p.m. EST, while the game in San Antonio, Texas against Incarnate Word is scheduled to get going at 7:30 p.m. EST.
HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
at McNeese (7 p.m. EST) – Live Stats | Watch (YouTube) | Social Media (@culionsbaseball)
at Incarnate Word (7:30 p.m. EST) – Live Stats | Watch (UIWCardinals.com) | Listen | Social Media (@culionsbaseball)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS:
at McNeese: Derek Yoo (RHP/COL) – Chance Stone (RHP/MCN)
at Incarnate Word: TBA - TBA
LAST TIME OUT: Columbia enters the pair of midweek games having played a three-game weekend series at Baylor where the Lions battled hard, taking the second game of a Saturday (Mar. 12) DH with an offensive outburst in the form of an 11-4 win.
SERIES MATCHUP: This will be the first time that Columbia has faced both McNeese and Incarnate Word on the diamond.
WHAT THE COWBOYS BRING: The Cowboys come into Tuesday's game having dropped three out of their last four games, which included a 6-3 loss at No. 6 LSU on Mar. 9. McNeese's last win came over CS Northridge, when they won 4-3 at home on Mar. 12.
WHAT THE CARDINALS BRING: Incarnate Word will bring a three-game winning streak into the week, having swept UT Arlington over the weekend (Mar. 12-13) at home. UIW wrapped up the sweep with a 15-2 Sunday win over the Mavericks. They will host UTRGV on Mar. 15 before welcoming the Lions to San Antonio at Sullivan Field.
MILESTONES AHEAD: Brett Boretti reached the 400-win plateau last season and his 298 wins with the Lions are second all-time, with Boretti making the move up from third in Columbia's weekend at Davidson. Boretti now sits three wins away from 300 career wins with Columbia, becoming only the second coach to ever reach that mark.
Boretti's 168 Ivy League wins and .596 winning percentage in conference play are both program benchmarks.
FIRST TRIP TO LAKE CHARLES: After the weekend in Waco, Columbia will quickly hop across the state line to Louisiana to face McNeese in an early midweek game on Mar. 15. The match up with the Cowboys will be the first time the Lions have visited Lake Charles, and the first time they have played McNeese.
It will also be the second time the Lions have ever played a school from Louisiana and the second time playing in Louisiana. The first and only coming in a three-game series against Tulane in 2017.
BACK IN TEXAS: Columbia has been to Texas before, but it's the first time since 2018 that the Lions have visited the Lone Star State. All-time this will be the sixth time the Lions have swung through the state with the Lions heading on to face Incarnate Word (Mar. 16) and Houston (Mar. 18-20).
Baylor will be the ninth team from Texas the Lions have ever faced. Columbia has battled with Houston, Lamar, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas A&M CC, UT Arlington, UT San Antonio and Texas Tech.
BURSTING OUT: Columbia exploded for 11 runs, 10 unanswered, in its 11-4 win over Baylor in the second half of a doubleheader. They were the most runs scored by a Lions team since scoring 15 at Army on May 1, 2019.
KNOCKING OF THE BIG12: Columbia's 11-4 win over Baylor was not just Columbia's first win over Baylor in program history, it was the first win over a BIG12 program in the long history of Columbia Baseball.
SOLO SPEED: In the final game of the three-game series at Baylor, Joshua Solomon was on his giddy-up, collecting a career-high three stolen bases. Including snagging two in one inning when he stole second and third in the top of the 10th inning.
SPEEDY LIONS: Columbia was active on the base paths over the weekend in Waco, stealing eight bags, while only getting caught once. They swiped five bags in Sunday's series finale and three in the 11-4 Saturday night win.
FLASHING THE LEATHER: In the three games in Waco, Columbia's defense was a strong part of their game, committing just one error over the weekend. As a team, they are out fielding their opponents by a clip of .974 to .970.
BLAKE POWERS THE LINEUP: Starting nine games as the DH and batting in the two spot, Andy Blake has been the power charge in the Lions offense sitting second in the Ivy League in home runs with three hit so far this year. He's also collected nine RBIs, second-most in the league.
DEFENSIVE LIONS: Davidson averaged 5.8 runs per game, but over the four-game series against Columbia, the Wildcats could only average 4.8 runs per game.
HOMECOMING: Columbia Head Coach Brett Boretti returned to his old stomping grounds when the Lions visited Davidson. A 1994 graduate from Davidson, Boretti was a two-time First Team All-Southern Conference honoree and was inducted into the Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2010.
LIONS HIT DINGERS: Over the weekend of Mar. 4-6 at Davidson, Columbia crushed five home runs en route to splitting the four-game series. The Lions got one in the first game of Saturday's DH, and followed that up with two dingers in the second game of the DH and two more in the final game of the weekend.
Columbia got a pair from Andy Blake and Joshua Solomon, along with Skye Selinsky. It's the first time since 2019 (at Cornell) that Columbia has had back-to-back games with at least two home runs.
FINALLY BACK: The Lions last took to the field on Mar. 8, 2020 in the final game of a four game series they played at Nebraska. When they take the field at Stetson, it will be the first time they have played in 719 days.
"It was good to get everyone back in the fall," said head coach Brett Boretti. "The team has had great leadership over the past two years and there is a lot of anticipation ahead of opening day to get back on the field.
"It's part one of the season, as we try and figure out what everyone's rolls are and what are best lineups are. We've got a lot of new guys, but this opening weekend will be a great test to see what we have versatility wise."
PRESEASON PICKS: Columbia was picked to finish second in the Ivy League preseason poll. The Lions, who tied with Yale for the most first-place votes at five, finished six points ahead of Penn, who were picked to finish third.
2022 Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Yale – 107 (5)
2. Columbia – 102 (5)
3. Penn – 96 (4)
4. Harvard – 92 (2)
5. Dartmouth – 72
6. Princeton – 47
7. Brown – 35
8. Cornell –25
DID YOU KNOW: Every student-athlete that has played for head coach Brett Boretti's in his 15-year tenure, and remained on Columbia's roster for at least three years, has either won a conference title or competed in an Ivy League Playoff Series.
LIONS IN THE PROS: Columbia currently has one player in the professional ranks as Josh Simpson '19CC, a left-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2019, remains in their system having spent time pitching as high as Single-A ball.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Baseball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsBaseball), Instagram (@culionsbaseball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Players Mentioned
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