Montclair, NJ – The #8/12 Montclair State University baseball travels to take on Stockton University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

GAME INFO
First pitch from Galloway, NJ is scheduled for 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM, with live stats and video links available on montclairathletics.com.

LAST TIME OUT
Montclair fell to Kean 12-6 on Friday, April 12 at Yogi Berra Stadium. The Red Hawks struck for two runs in the second inning on three consecutive doubles, but the Cougars scored three runs over the next two frames to take their first lead of the contest. Montclair leveled the game in the sixth on a solo home run to right center from JOE GISONDA, but Kean answered with three homers in the next stanza to build a five-run advantage. After the visitors expanded the margin to nine, Gisonda launched his second home run to cut the margin by two in the eighth. The Red Hawks tallied a final run in the ninth, but Kean sealed the victory and escaped a bases loaded jam. MICHAEL MURPHY tallied his 100th hit in the contest, and Gisonda's multi-home run game was the second of his career.

TEAM LEADERS
MONTCLAIR STATE (23-5, 5-2 NJAC)
On-Base Percentage: SAM ANGELO, .493
Hits: SAM ANGELO, 53
Doubles: SAM ANGELO, 10
Runs: SAM ANGELO, 33
Home Runs: SAM ANGELO, 14
RBI: SAM ANGELO, 45
Stolen Bases: REECE MALEK, 11
Innings Pitched: MICHAEL TIMBERLAKE, 39.2
Strikeouts: MICHAEL TIMBERLAKE, 39
 
STOCKTON (14-11, 5-2 NJAC)
On-Base Percentage: Cooper Fiore, .528
Hits: Tony Gatti, 40
Doubles: Nick Avagnano, 8
Runs: Nick Avagnano, 33
Home Runs: Nick Avagnano, 4
RBI: Nick Avagnano, 24
Stolen Bases: Robbie Ford, 8
Innings Pitched: Stephen DeMilio, 32.0
Strikeouts: Stephen DeMilio, 28

SCOUTING STOCKTON
The Ospreys enter Saturday's twinbill with a 14-11 mark and a 5-2 record in NJAC play. They kicked off their season with back-to-back victories, including a 9-5 triumph over #15 Salve Regina, but dropped seven of their next nine contests. Stockton answered with five straight victories, but then fell to McDaniel and Immaculata before starting conference play. They swept Rutgers-Newark and #11 Rowan, and have a 16-5 victory over William Paterson on their NJAC record so far. They split with the Pioneers, and fell to #17 TCNJ in their most recent contest on Thursday, April 11. Stockton went 22-20 during the 2023 season and qualified for the NJAC Tournament, and the Ospreys were tabbed seventh as well as the dark horse in the 2024 NJAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

SERIES HISTORY
Montclair holds a 52-13 record all-time against Stockton in a series dating back to 1976. Both sides have claimed five games over their last 10 clashes, with the Ospreys claiming each of the last five games played at Stockton. Montclair won both meetings during the 2023 season, and the Red Hawks have plated 48 runs over their last five games against the Ospreys.

LAST MEETING
The Red Hawks scored 26 runs during a doubleheader sweep against Stockton on April 22, 2023 at Yogi Berra Stadium. Montclair took down the Ospreys 12-8 in the opener, as ANTHONY GUARINO and ZACH STEARNS each collected three hits to lead the team. After Stockton gained an 8-4 advantage halfway through the contest, the Red Hawks rattled off eight consecutive runs over the next two frames to claim the victory. Montclair built a 7-2 lead halfway through game two, but Stockton staged a rally that saw them cut the deficit to one multiple times both in the seventh and eighth innings. The Red Hawks expanded their lead to 14-8 in the eighth and held off another late rally from the Ospreys to complete the sweep. MILES FEASTER led Montclair with four hits and three runs batted in.

UP NEXT
The Red Hawks will travel to conclude their regular season series with Kean University on Sunday, April 14. First pitch from Union, NJ is slated for 12:00 PM.