First Place On The Line When Baseball Hosts Monmouth For Four-Game NEC Series This Weekend

Playing For First
The Quinnipiac University baseball team will host Monmouth University this weekend in a meeting of the Northeast Conference's two first-place teams. Both teams own identical 8-4 records in NEC play. The Bobcats and Hawks will play a nine-inning game on Friday, April 8 at 3 p.m., followed by a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday, April 9 at 12 p.m. On Sunday, April 10, Quinnipiac will host Katie Vashon Day for the Bobcats tilt at 1 p.m.

Multimedia
Live stats will be available for each of the Bobcats' four games against Monmouth while live audio, provided by the student-operated QBSN, will be available for Friday and Sunday's games.

Weather Advisory
With the threat of inclement weather, Bobcat fans are urged to refer to the Official Website of Quinnipiac Athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com, for up-to-the-minute schedule changes as well as the latest news, scores and highlights of their favorite Bobcat teams.

Katie Vashon Day
Sunday, April 10, 2011 will be Katie Vashon Day at the Quinnipiac Baseball Field. Her father, Jim Vashon, will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch while Katie's sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma, will be holding a bake sale to raise funds for the Katie Vashon Endowment at Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine. The money raised allows for two children suffering from chronic illnesses and their families to spend one week each summer at this camp which was held close to Katie's heart. Katie Vashon was a senior from Hermon, Maine who worked in the Quinnipiac University Sports Information Department for four years before she suddenly passed away after a brief battle with leukemia in 2005. Katie was majoring in public relations and belonged to the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority as well as the School of Communications honorary society Lambda Pi Eta.

Scouting Monmouth
Monmouth is currently 13-12 overall and 8-4 in NEC play, good for a tie with Quinnipiac for first-place in the Northeast Conference standings. Monmouth has won seven of its last 10 games and five of its last eight against NEC teams, including three of four against Central Connecticut State last weekend. Jamie Rosenkranz is hitting a team-high .370 (30-81) with a home run and 12 RBI, while leading the team in slugging percentage (.506) and on-base percentage (.441). Ryan Terry is hitting .358 (39-109) and leads the Hawks in hits (30), doubles (8), total bases (52) and runs scored (18).

Weekend Pitching Match-ups
Friday, April 8 (9 Innings)
QU - Derek Lamaccia (RHP; 3-1, 1.07 ERA); MU - Nick Meyers (LHP; 4-1, 2.60 ERA)
Saturday, April 9 - Game 1 (7 Innings)
QU - Kyle Birdsall (RHP; 2-1, 4.06 ERA); MU - Pat Light (RHP; 1-4, 4.24 ERA)
Saturday, April 9 - Game 2 (7 Innings)
QU - George Dummar (RHP; 3-2, 6.75 ERA); MU - Dan Smith (LHP; 0-2, 5.23 ERA)
Sunday, April 10 - (9 Innings)
QU - Anthony Cinelli (3-0, 1.67 ERA); MU - Andy McDonnell (RHP; 1-0, 2.96 ERA)

Quinnipiac's March Athlete Of The Month
The Quinnipiac Department of Athletics and Recreation has announced that baseball senior Mickey Amanti has been named Quinnipiac's March Athletes of the Month. Amanti led the baseball team to its best start in program history as the Bobcats won 11 of their first 18 games. Amanti batted a team-high .364, including a team-leading 28 hits in 18 games for the month. Amanti also stroked five doubles and drove in nine runs while scoring 14 more. Amanti was also second with four stolen bases in the month. His most notable games included the Bobcats' season-opening win against Marshall when Amanti went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. He had multiple-hit efforts against Richmond (twice), Rider, Army, Mount St. Mary's (twice) and a 4-for-5 day against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Stay Hot Mick
Amanti continued to swing a hot bat for the Bobcats, most recently against Dartmouth on Wednesday, April 6, as he pushed his team-leading hit total to 35 this year. With three more hits in the Bobcats' tilt with Dartmouth, Amanti now has 172 for his career, moving him into a tie with Pete Kummerfeldt '08 for 15th all-time and 13th at the Division I level.

Dirty Dozen
Amanti has hit safely in a Quinnipiac season-best 12 consecutive games. Amanti is also second on the team with nine multiple-hit games, including one of Quinnipiac's two four-hit showings.

Two-Bagger
Quinnipiac junior second baseman, captain Chris Migani, leads the Bobcats with a .386 (17-44) average in 12 NEC games this season. Migani also leads the team in runs scored (9), doubles (5), home runs (2), RBI (13), total bases (28), slugging percentage (.636), on-base percentage (.472) and stolen bases (six) in 12 league games. Migani's 13 RBI and .636 slugging percentage lead the NEC.

Veteran Core
Migani is one of five Bobcats, along with Joe Poletsky (16), Mickey Amanti (16), Kyle Nisson (13) and Ben Farina (13) to average a hit-per-game against NEC teams.

Weekend Starts
Derek Lamaccia, the Bobcats Game 1 starter for their four-game set against Monmouth, is 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA in three NEC starts this season. Lamaccia has given up three runs - two earned - on 21 hits over 22 2/3 innings pitched against the NEC.

Not To Be Outdone
Anthony Cinelli has also been impressive in league play. The senior right-handed pitcher is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts against NEC competition.

Dummar Doing More
George Dummar, in his second year with the club and first as a weekend starter, is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in league action. Dummar leads the team with 15 strikeouts against NEC opposition in 18 innings pitched.

The Closer
Andrew Rinaldi's three saves in five NEC appearances are tied for the league lead.