April 9, 2000
OVERALL: 11-15
MAAC: 5-6
THIS WEEK: 4/10 at Iona (make up from Sunday), 4/13 at Seton Hall, 4/15 vs. St. Peter's (2), 4/16 vs. St. Peter's
The Close Ones- Fairfield is 7-1 in games decided by two runs or less, 5-1 in games decided by one run.
Heating Up- After a slow start, the Stags have won seven of their last nine, including a second straight win over Big East foe UConn. The Stags also handed MAAC rival Iona their first league loss of the season.
Power Surge- Fairfield continues to circle the bases in one swing quite frequently. Over the last nine games, the Stags have cracked 20 home runs. Their 26 on the season through just 26 games is only nine shy of the program record of 35, set by the 1997 team.
Who's Hot- Senior Paul Macchio (Carmel, N.Y.) is batting .400 (14-for-35) over the last nine games with a slugging percentage of .914. During that span the switch-hitter has belted six home runs, driven in 10 and scored 13 times. Matt Ciardelli (Milford, N.J.) has also been steady during that same stretch, posting a .395 avg. (15-for-38) with three home runs, three doubles and 12 RBI.
Chart Climbing-With a team-leading eight round-trippers this year, Paul Macchio has increased his career total to 21, placing him fourth all-time at Fairfield. He enters the week just two shy of the program's single season home run record of 10 set by current teammate Tom Lopusznick (Leonardo, N.J.) last season. Tom Lopusznick is already the program's all-time home run and RBI leader with 29 and 149, respectively. The senior right fielder's 126 career runs scored currently ranks fourth all-time and his 72 stolen bases is good for third all-time. He has also moved into second all-time with 183 career hits behind Mike Pike's record of 209 set from 1993-96.
Immediate Impact- Freshman hurler Paul Gorra (Quaker Hill, Conn.) continues to impress on the mound. The righty leads the staff regulars with a 2.45 ERA, allowing just seven earned runs in 25 and two-third innings of work and carries a 3-0 record. He has also converted his only save opportunity. Gorra was responsible for dealing Iona their first league loss of the season on Saturday. He went the distance in a 5-4 win, scattering nine hits, fanning four and walking none against the league's top offense.
Table-Setter- Jim Lopusznick (Leonardo, N.J.) has once again embraced his role as lead-off hitter for the Stags. The senior center fielder leads the team with a .343 batting average, including 13 doubles and 17 RBI. His .552 slugging percentage is second on the team and he has also recorded a .402 on base percentage. Last week Lopusznick batted .412 (7-for-17) with a double, a home run and four RBI.
Sounds Like a "K"- Sophomore righty Dan Krines (Huntington, N.Y.) has overtaken the lead for strikeouts. Krines has now fanned 26 batters on the year. Senior righty Dave Catelotti (Adams, Mass.) ranks second with 23 in only 27 innings and junior Steve Colcord (N. Hampton, N.H.) is third with 22.
Balanced Offense- While no batter in the Stag lineup has more than 20 RBI (Tom Lopusznick), seven different players have driven in at least 11 runs.
