Tuesday, April 4
New York, N.Y.
3:30 P.M.
Columbia University
vs
UConn
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin
Baseball Hosts No. 19 UConn To Conclude Homestand
4/3/2023 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
Lions will play their third ranked team of the year
NEW YORK — Columbia baseball wraps up its nine-game homestand on Tuesday against No. 19 UConn from Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Projected Columbia starting pitcher:
RHP Thomas Santana (6 APP, 1 GS, 1-0 W/L, 7.71 ERA, 9.1 IP)
Projected UConn starting pitcher:
RHP Stephen Quigley (3 APP, 3 GS, 1-1 W/L, 6.57 ERA, 12.1 IP)
Last Time Out
The Lions (12-11, 4-2) have won their first two Ivy League series of the season after defeating Cornell, 15-1, in game one of Sunday's doubleheader. Columbia dropped the series finale to the Big Red, 13-8.
Seth Dardar led the Columbia offense with four hits on Sunday. Weston Eberly added three hits while Hayden Schott homered twice, drove in three runs, and scored five times. In game one's victory, Jack Kail belted a grand slam and Sam Miller came off the bench and went deep for his first career collegiate hit.
Lions starting pitcher Joe Sheets pitched 7.1 innings in game one, allowing eight hits and one run while striking out six to earn his second win of the season. It was the deepest a Columbia pitcher has pitched in a game this season and is the longest outing of Sheets' career.
About UConn
The Huskies cracked the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 20 last week and enter Tuesday's matchup with a record of 20-6. UConn is coming off a series sweep over UMBC last weekend, including an 11-0 victory in the finale on Sunday. The Huskies are 9-3 on the road this season.
UConn is averaging 8.2 runs per game and in the field has a .980 fielding percentage that ranks No. 20 in the country.
Dominic Freeberger leads the team in batting average (.385), runs (29), hits (40), home runs (6), and RBIs (33). Graduate Justin Willis has three saves for the Huskies.
UConn was picked as the preseason favorite in the Big East. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back seasons in which the team has captured both the regular season and tournament titles in the league.
Right-handed pitcher Ian Cooke was selected as the Big East Preseason Pitcher of the Year and joined outfielder Korey Morton and first baseman Ben Huber on the Preseason All-Conference team.
Series History - UConn
Columbia and UConn will meet for the fifth time on Tuesday. The Huskies have won three of the four meetings in the series. Columbia's lone win in the series came on March 25, 2016, in New York.
Home Sweet Home
After playing the first 15 games of this season on the road, the Lions conclude a nine-game home stand on Tuesday. This marks the longest home stand since 2010, when Columbia played 10 home games in a row from March 27-April 7. The Lions went 9-1 in that stretch. Columbia is 6-2 at home this year.
Offensive Explosion
Columbia's bats are off to a hot start through the first 23 games of the season. The Lions rank in the top 30 nationally in batting average (.309), doubles per game (2.43), home runs per game (1.70), and slugging percentage (.529). Columbia is averaging 8.8 runs per game, which ranks tied for 17th in the country and is the highest clip among Ivy League teams.
Out of nine players in the Ivy League who have driven in 20 runs so far this year, the Lions have six of them.
Columbia has scored 15 runs in six games this season. The Lions are 5-1 in those games. Among Ivy League teams, Penn has scored 15 runs twice and Harvard has done it once.
Turning Two
Columbia ranks tied for 16th in the country in double plays turned per game. The Lions have totaled 22 double plays, which ranks best in the Ivy League.
Stay Hot, Schott
Hayden Schott is continuing where he left off from his record-breaking season in 2022. The Lions right fielder has recorded a hit in all but four games this season and leads the team in home runs, OPS, slugging percentage, total bases, runs, and is tied for the team lead in doubles.
Eberly Added To Posey Watch List
Catcher Weston Eberly has been added to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List. The Wichita Sports Commission has added nine catchers to the official watch list of the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. Because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until May 8, 2023.
Dean Forthun '10CC was the last Lions catcher to be named to this list, when it was known as the Johnny Bench Award.
Among The Best of the Nation
Through six weeks of the season, the Lions have two players receiving national recognition from D1 Baseball.
Right fielder Hayden Schott ranks No. 81 on D1 Baseball's Top 100 Outfielders List.
Catcher Weston Eberly ranks No. 45 on D1 Baseball's Top 50 Catchers List. Eberly was ranked No. 37 on D1 Baseball's Preseason Top 50 Catchers List.
Outfielder Cole Hage checked in at No. 122 on D1 Baseball's Preseason Top 150 Outfielders List. Last season, Hage led the Lions in batting average (.335) and on-base percentage (.454).
History In Tuscaloosa
The Lions won a three-game series at No. 18 Alabama on March 11. The victory in the series finale marked the first time in program history that Columbia won a series against an SEC team. Columbia earned its second and third win over an SEC team in program history when it defeated the Crimson Tide 10-7 in the series opener and then 15-3 in the series finale. The first win over an SEC team in program history came in 1989 at Tennessee. The Lions handed Alabama its first two losses of 2023.
The two wins over the Crimson Tide now gives head coach Brett Boretti 12 victories over ranked teams during his tenure at Columbia.
Preseason Polls
Columbia was tabbed to finish first in the 2023 Ivy League Preseason Poll, as voted on by eight sports information directors and eight media members from around the league. The Lions have been picked to finish first in the preseason poll for the first time since the poll was instituted in 2018. Before this year's first-place rank, Columbia had either been picked to finish second or third in the previous four Ivy League Baseball Preseason Polls. Columbia received 12 out of 16 first-place votes in this year's poll.
D1 Baseball's Eric Sorenson projected the Lions to finish first in the Ivy League standings and be the lone regional team to come out of the conference.
Up Next
The Lions hit the road to play Yale in a three-game series as Ivy League play continues. First pitch in game one of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 11:30 a.m. at Bush '48 Field.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Projected Columbia starting pitcher:
RHP Thomas Santana (6 APP, 1 GS, 1-0 W/L, 7.71 ERA, 9.1 IP)
Projected UConn starting pitcher:
RHP Stephen Quigley (3 APP, 3 GS, 1-1 W/L, 6.57 ERA, 12.1 IP)
Last Time Out
The Lions (12-11, 4-2) have won their first two Ivy League series of the season after defeating Cornell, 15-1, in game one of Sunday's doubleheader. Columbia dropped the series finale to the Big Red, 13-8.
Seth Dardar led the Columbia offense with four hits on Sunday. Weston Eberly added three hits while Hayden Schott homered twice, drove in three runs, and scored five times. In game one's victory, Jack Kail belted a grand slam and Sam Miller came off the bench and went deep for his first career collegiate hit.
Lions starting pitcher Joe Sheets pitched 7.1 innings in game one, allowing eight hits and one run while striking out six to earn his second win of the season. It was the deepest a Columbia pitcher has pitched in a game this season and is the longest outing of Sheets' career.
About UConn
The Huskies cracked the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 20 last week and enter Tuesday's matchup with a record of 20-6. UConn is coming off a series sweep over UMBC last weekend, including an 11-0 victory in the finale on Sunday. The Huskies are 9-3 on the road this season.
UConn is averaging 8.2 runs per game and in the field has a .980 fielding percentage that ranks No. 20 in the country.
Dominic Freeberger leads the team in batting average (.385), runs (29), hits (40), home runs (6), and RBIs (33). Graduate Justin Willis has three saves for the Huskies.
UConn was picked as the preseason favorite in the Big East. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back seasons in which the team has captured both the regular season and tournament titles in the league.
Right-handed pitcher Ian Cooke was selected as the Big East Preseason Pitcher of the Year and joined outfielder Korey Morton and first baseman Ben Huber on the Preseason All-Conference team.
Series History - UConn
Columbia and UConn will meet for the fifth time on Tuesday. The Huskies have won three of the four meetings in the series. Columbia's lone win in the series came on March 25, 2016, in New York.
Home Sweet Home
After playing the first 15 games of this season on the road, the Lions conclude a nine-game home stand on Tuesday. This marks the longest home stand since 2010, when Columbia played 10 home games in a row from March 27-April 7. The Lions went 9-1 in that stretch. Columbia is 6-2 at home this year.
Offensive Explosion
Columbia's bats are off to a hot start through the first 23 games of the season. The Lions rank in the top 30 nationally in batting average (.309), doubles per game (2.43), home runs per game (1.70), and slugging percentage (.529). Columbia is averaging 8.8 runs per game, which ranks tied for 17th in the country and is the highest clip among Ivy League teams.
Out of nine players in the Ivy League who have driven in 20 runs so far this year, the Lions have six of them.
Columbia has scored 15 runs in six games this season. The Lions are 5-1 in those games. Among Ivy League teams, Penn has scored 15 runs twice and Harvard has done it once.
Turning Two
Columbia ranks tied for 16th in the country in double plays turned per game. The Lions have totaled 22 double plays, which ranks best in the Ivy League.
Stay Hot, Schott
Hayden Schott is continuing where he left off from his record-breaking season in 2022. The Lions right fielder has recorded a hit in all but four games this season and leads the team in home runs, OPS, slugging percentage, total bases, runs, and is tied for the team lead in doubles.
Eberly Added To Posey Watch List
Catcher Weston Eberly has been added to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List. The Wichita Sports Commission has added nine catchers to the official watch list of the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. Because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until May 8, 2023.
Dean Forthun '10CC was the last Lions catcher to be named to this list, when it was known as the Johnny Bench Award.
Among The Best of the Nation
Through six weeks of the season, the Lions have two players receiving national recognition from D1 Baseball.
Right fielder Hayden Schott ranks No. 81 on D1 Baseball's Top 100 Outfielders List.
Catcher Weston Eberly ranks No. 45 on D1 Baseball's Top 50 Catchers List. Eberly was ranked No. 37 on D1 Baseball's Preseason Top 50 Catchers List.
Outfielder Cole Hage checked in at No. 122 on D1 Baseball's Preseason Top 150 Outfielders List. Last season, Hage led the Lions in batting average (.335) and on-base percentage (.454).
History In Tuscaloosa
The Lions won a three-game series at No. 18 Alabama on March 11. The victory in the series finale marked the first time in program history that Columbia won a series against an SEC team. Columbia earned its second and third win over an SEC team in program history when it defeated the Crimson Tide 10-7 in the series opener and then 15-3 in the series finale. The first win over an SEC team in program history came in 1989 at Tennessee. The Lions handed Alabama its first two losses of 2023.
The two wins over the Crimson Tide now gives head coach Brett Boretti 12 victories over ranked teams during his tenure at Columbia.
Preseason Polls
Columbia was tabbed to finish first in the 2023 Ivy League Preseason Poll, as voted on by eight sports information directors and eight media members from around the league. The Lions have been picked to finish first in the preseason poll for the first time since the poll was instituted in 2018. Before this year's first-place rank, Columbia had either been picked to finish second or third in the previous four Ivy League Baseball Preseason Polls. Columbia received 12 out of 16 first-place votes in this year's poll.
D1 Baseball's Eric Sorenson projected the Lions to finish first in the Ivy League standings and be the lone regional team to come out of the conference.
Up Next
The Lions hit the road to play Yale in a three-game series as Ivy League play continues. First pitch in game one of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 11:30 a.m. at Bush '48 Field.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
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