Montclair, NJ – The Red Hawks host Stockton University in their final non-conference contests before NJAC play begins next Saturday.


ON THE AIR:
YouTube - Red Hawk Sports Network


THE TEAMS:
Montclair State is back on the diamond following a wild night on Thursday as it swept New Jersey City at Yogi Berra Stadium. The first game(s) at Yogi Berra Stadium in over a year provided just about everything as MSU swept the twinbill 12-3 and 11-10, scoring three times in the bottom of the 11^th of the nightcap to complete the sweep. Catcher ANTHONY GUARINO singled back through the middle with the bases loaded for the winning run as the Red Hawks overcame a two-run deficit in both the 10^th and 11 innings to improve to 6-1. JASON MOORE homered and CHRISTOPHER WALKER collected three RBI in the first game.

After having its opener canceled on Thursday, the Ospreys began their 2021 campaign with a bang as they upset No. 14 Kean twice with identical 7-5 victories. Not only were the scores identical, so were the way they happened as Stockton scored six times in the ninth inning of each game. In the opener, the Ospreys trailed 2-1 before pinch-hitter Ryan Mihlebach delivered a two-run, pinch-hit single for the go-ahead runs as the Ospreys also took advantage of a pair of wild pitches to plate two more runs. In the second contest, Stockton was behind 4-1, however a two-run single by Geisler put the Ospreys in front. Swift added a two-run single of his own in the ninth-inning uprising.

Today's matchup is also intriguing as current Montclair State head coach Dave Lorber faces his old team. Lorber guided the Ospreys in 2019. Stockton doubled its win total from the previous season which included a 10-game winning streak to being the year.  


THE COACHES:
Rich Gawlak (2^nd Season): 8-3 + today
Dave Lorber (3^rd season / 2^nd at MSU): 14-5 at Montclair State


KEY PLAYERS:

Montclair State
PETER COSENTINO (Jr., IF, Whitehouse Station, NJ)
.435 BA, 10 H, 11 R, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 1.043 SLUG%, 10 BB, .606 OB%

JOE NORTON (Sr., IF, Cranford, NJ)
.375 BA, 11 R, 12 H, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 5 SB, .459 OB%

CHRISTOPHER WALKER (Jr., OF, West Orange, NJ)
.417 BA, 10 H, 3 2B, 8 RBI, .667 SLUG%, .483 OB%


Stockton
Marco Meleo (Sr., OF, Freehold, NJ)
.333 BA, 3 H, 2 R, .2 RBI, 333 SLUG%, .400 OB%

Evan Geisler (Sr., IF, Lodi, NJ)
.300 BA, 3 H, 2 R, 2 RBI, .300 SLUG%, .300 OB%

Luke Fabrizzi (So., C, Old Bridge, NJ)
.286 BA, 2 H, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, .500 OB%


TEAM STATS (Hitting / Pitching):
Stockton: .233 BA, 14 R, 17 H, 1 2B, 12 BB, 16 K / 5.00 ERA, 22 H, 5 K
Montclair State: .331 BA, 69 R, 80 H, 18 2B, 53 BB / 3.88 ERA, 61 K


ALL-TIME SERIES: (Montclair State Leads 47-10)
The Red Hawks and Ospreys first met in 1976 and played once each season until 1981 with Montclair winning all six meetings. The series was renewed in 1995 as Stockton became part of the NJAC. MSU continued its winning streak capturing 16 straight until Stockton ended that in 2003 with a 9-1 win in the second game of a doubleheader in Galloway. Over the last five seasons, Montclair State has won six of the 10 contests, however it is the Ospreys who hold the upper hand sweeping MSU in Galloway in 2019, the last time they met.


LAST 5 MEETINGS
4/6/19: STO 4, MSU 3 / STO 8, MSU 3
3/31/18: MSU 7, STO 6 / MSU 5, STO 4
4/2/17: STO 12, MSU 5 / MSU 14, STO 5
4/2/16: MSU 5, STO 4 / MSU 9, STO 1
3/28/15: STO 7, MSU 1 / MSU 5, STO 3
 

NEXT UP:
The Red Hawks enter NJAC action next Saturday, April 3 on the road at Ramapo in a doubleheader.