Tweet #PostBB

GAME CENTER

Saturday, Feb. 14 – 12 p.m., 3 p.m. Post at Chowan Hawkins Field – Murfreesboro, N.C. Coverage: Live Stats

 
WATERBURY, Conn. – The Post University baseball team begins its first season under new head coach Ray Ricker on Saturday as it visits Chowan for a doubleheader in Murfreesboro, N.C. The Eagles are coming off a 17-22-1 season in which they advanced to the second round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament. Post and Chowan have played each other just twice before with the Rams taking both games back in 2008.
 
2014 SEASON RECAP - Schedule - Final Statistics - Roster
Post was selected to finish seventh in the CACC preseason poll heading into the 2014 season, but proved the voters wrong be earning the sixth and final playoff spot with a 10-10 conference record. The Eagles were just 3-8 heading into conference play, but got back on track winning their first six CACC games and seven straight overall. The 6-0 start in the conference was their best in school history.
 
During the middle of the season Post struggled going 3-9-1, but still remained in the playoff picture. Heading into the final week of the season the Eagles faced two must-win sets with Chestnut Hill and Concordia. Post won three of its last four to slide into the CACC Tournament. Don Crook (Meriden, Conn.) pitched eight innings of shutout ball against Nyack in the opening round as Post won 6-0 to advance to the double-elimination second round in Wilmington, Del. Crook's performance earned him NCBWA East Region Pitcher of the Week honors. The Eagles fell to eventual champion Felician and Wilmington to end their season.
 
Crook was named First Team All-CACC and Julien Casaubon (Jiolette, Quebec) and Mike Shada (Holtsville, N.Y.) earned a spot on the Second Team. Casaubon also received the Top XIV Award for having the highest GPA of CACC Tournament participants. Dylan Pastor (Hewlett, N.Y.) was named Second Team All-East Gold Glove for his defensive play at third base.
 
2015 OUTLOOK - Schedule - Roster
The Eagles lost 12 seniors from last year's squad, but do return 11 players that made at least one start led by Crook and Pastor. Crook was 6-2 with a 2.65 ERA and 63 strikeouts, all in the top-10 in the CACC. Pastor was second on the team with a .270 average. Post also returns junior Erik Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) who was the team's leading batter in 2013 at .341, the seventh highest average in school history. Rodriguez was second that year with 19 RBI. Division I transfers graduate students Zach Batchelor (Monroe Township, N.J.) and Mike Costello (Manassas, Va.) look to make an immediate impact on the mound.
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Chowan, a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), was selected to finish second in the conference's preseason poll. Three members of the team earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team in Stephen Hux, Tyler Burden, and Blake Eure. The Rams are off to a 4-5 start on the season and have split their last two series. Catcher Aaron Flanagan has gotten off to a hot start batting .579 with three home runs and 10 RBI in just six games. Pitcher Tyler Burden has allowed just one run and three hits over seven innings of relief. Evan Hart leads the starters with a 2.25 ERA and a 2-1 record.
 
PRESEASON POSITIONING
Post was picked fourth in the CACC Preseason Poll, receiving 76 points. Last year's regular season champion Wilmington was picked atop the poll. The Wildcats earned 119 points and nine first-place votes. CACC Tournament Champion, Felician, was slotted second with 110 points and two first-place votes. The Eagles also received three votes in the NCBWA East Region Poll.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Following the weekend series with Chowan, the Eagles are off to Dinwiddie, Va. for games against Mansfield, Slippery Rock, and Mercyhurst beginning on Saturday, Feb. 21.