The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team enters the 2023 ECC Tournament, beginning on Thursday at 3 p.m., opening against Queens College at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, New York. The double elimination format will continue on Friday and Saturday on Long Island.
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The Spartans (23-25, 16-8 ECC) - STAC enters the weekend as the #2 seed in the tournament and is 5-5 in its last 10 games. The offense is sparked by Gregory DiGiaro, who posted a .297 batting average with 10 doubles, 11 homers, 51 RBIs and 40 runs scored over 46 games played. Nick O'Connor enters the tournament hitting .325 with eight doubles, three triples and four home runs. Andrew Jemison (.310 BA, 20 RBIs, 39 Runs) paced the Spartans with 16 doubles on the season. On the mound, ECC Pitcher of the Year Aaron Dona (6-3, 3.57 ERA), John Archer (3-5, 5.49 ERA) and Andrew Alameda (4-3, 4.83 ERA) helped lead STAC to the post season, while Mateo Reyes (22.1 IP, 3-1, 3.63 ERA, 3 Svs) and Bryan Krolikowski (21.2 IP, 2-2, 4.98 ERA, 2 Svs) provided one of the best back-end combinations of any bullpen within the conference.
The Knights (29-16, 13-9 ECC) - The ECC Tournament runner-up from 2022 comes into postseason play, having taken two straight from STAC on the last weekend of the regular season, is 4-6 in its last 10 games and are the #3 seed for this year's tournament. The Knights feature the conference Rookie of the Year, Jorsixt Jimenez (.382 BA, 49 RBIs, 38 Runs) and possess one of the most dangerous hitting line-ups across the ECC, as Anthony Fontana (.376, 40 RBI), Marc Cisco (.356, 47 Runs), Juan De La Rosa (.340 BA), Reed Hoskins (.319, 31 RBIs), Andrew Ramirez (.314, 10 doubles) and Jayson Rodopoulos (.292, 28 RBIs, 41 Runs) can all put the ball in play and motor around the bases. On the mound, Christopher Naronis (4-4, 4.98 ERA), Jordan Sanabria (5-3, 4.88 ERA), Liam Pulsipher (4-2, 3.70 ERA) and Dean Fazah (5-2, 5.89 ERA) give the Knights a very solid starting rotation.
Season Series (Split 2-2) - The Spartans and Knights opened their four-game ECC series on May 4 at Clover Stadium in Pomona, as STAC rolled to a 14-1 victory, behind the outstanding pitching of Aaron Dona. Dona hurled seven spectacular innings, allowing just three hits and a walk, while fanning 11 Queens batters. The right-hander also set a new single-season record for strikeouts in the game. Offensively, Gregory DiGiaro went 2-for-4, with 2 RBIs and a run scored on the day, while Andrew Guerra (1-for-4), Kyle Lagrutta (1-for-5), Nick O'Connor (2-for-4) and Billy Minett (1-for-2) each recorded a double in the game.
The following day, the teams returned to Clover Stadium, with the maroon and gold squeaking past Queens, 6-5 on the strength of an eighth inning Gregory DiGiaro solo home run to break up a 5-5 tie. DiGiaro went 2-for-4, with 2 homers, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored on the day, while Sean Lynch had two hits in four at-bats, including a home run, and drove in one and scored once. Starter John Archer got the ball for the Spartans and picked up a no-decision. Archer allowed nine hits and five runs in six innings of work, while striking out three Knights hitters. Mateo Reyes kept things in check for the final three innings out of the bullpen to earn his third win of the year. The STAC reliever allowed only a single hit, while walking two and fanning two.
Games three and four of the series shifted to Hennekens Stadium in Flushing on May 6, where Queens swept both ends of the Saturday twin bill with 5-4 and 5-0 victories. For the St. Thomas Aquinas, Nick O'Connor went 4-for-7 with a home run, an RBI and a Run scored on the afternoon. He also drew two walks. STAC also received hits from Andrew Guerra (2-for-6, Walk), Christopher Conti (2-for-7), Joseph Scamardella (1-for-7), Kyle Lagrutta (1-for-6, Run, Walk), C.J. Cumbo (1-for-5, home run, RBI, Run), Billy Minett (1-for 2, RBI, Walk) and Justin Klayman (1-for-1) in the doubleheader. Orin Winslow got the start for Spartans in game one and picked up a no-decision, allowing five hits and three runs, while walking four and striking out three over five and a third innings. John Dezago pitched two and two thirds scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, while fanning four. Jeremiah Vega was charged with the loss (1-1) for surrendering two runs on three hits, while walking two Knights batters in the bottom of the ninth inning. Andrew Alameda tossed three and two-thirds innings as the Spartans game two starter, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits, while walking two and striking out two. Alameda took the loss and moved to 4-3 on the year. Robert Williams came out of the bullpen in the fourth inning and pitched two and a third innings in relief, allowing only a hit and a unearned run, while walking one and K-ing one.
In the Post-Season - STAC holds seven regular-season championships (2008, '12, '13, '16, '17, '18 and '21), and has captured tournament titles in 2013, '14, '15 and '18. The Spartans are in search of their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, have won East Region Championships in 2014 and 2017, and were among the three finalists for the 2017 National Championship.
Queens is currently is on a 25-year drought without a conference championship, with their last coming during the 1998 season. They came close to ending the streak last season, but fell in the final of the tournament to Molloy.
What's Next? - The same four teams that qualified in 2021 and 2022 - Molloy, Queens, Mercy, and St. Thomas Aquinas - will compete for an ECC title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The tournament, which returns to its traditional double-elimination format, will be hosted by Molloy University at Mitchel Field in Uniondale, N.Y. The action starts on Thursday, May 11, and runs through Saturday, May 13.
The other side of the bracket sees No. 1 Molloy (33-15, 19-5 ECC) play No. 4 Mercy (15-31, 10-14 ECC). The two schools played their four-game regular season series in late March, with the top seed Lions earning a clean sweep of the contests from the Mavericks.
Molloy, who has also won the last two ECC Championships, will start their quest to three-peat, while Mercy is in search of their first-ever ECC title and look to earn their first postseason win since the 2010 season.
2023 EAST COAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
For More Information, visit the ECC Baseball Championship Central
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE - Hosted By Molloy University At Mitchel Field - Uniondale, N.Y.
Thursday, May 11
12:00 PM - No. 4 Mercy vs. No. 1 Molloy
3:00 PM - No. 3 Queens vs. No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas
Friday, May 12
10:00 a.m. - Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two
1:00 p.m. - Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two
4:00 p.m. - Winner Game Three vs. Loser Game Four
Saturday, May 13
12:00 p.m. - Winner Game Four vs. Winner Game Five
If necessary - 30 minutes after the completion of Game Six
TICKET PRICING
Single Game Ticket
$8 - General Admission
$5 - Students with ID, Senior Citizens, Children Ages 5-12
Weekend Passes
$20 - Adults
* Children under 5 free for all games
** Tickets must be purchased at the link above. Cash will not be accepted so walkup tickets at the venue must be purchased through the ECC website (QR code will be available at the gate).
BROADCAST/LIVE STATISTICS INFORMATION
For those who cannot be in attendance, Thursday's Game will be broadcast LIVE on both the Spartan Sports Network and the ECC Network.
All games during the ECC championship will be broadcast live on the ECC Network website and the ECC Network app on Apple and Android mobile devices and on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku OTT streaming devices.
Live Statistics will also be available for fans to follow all of the game action, if you cannot make it to Mitchel Field or watch the web stream.