Montclair, NJ- The Montclair State University baseball team enters the NJAC Tournament as the fourth seed and will travel first to take on third-seeded TCNJ on Thursday.

GAME INFO
The first pitch of game one at George Ackerman Park is set for 3:00 p.m. Live coverage links can be found at montclairathletics.com.


LAST TIME OUT
Montclair faced TCNJ in their regular-season finale doubleheader, where they lost game one 17-14 and tied game two, 15-15 due to darkness. TCNJ jumped out in front in the first inning, as a double down the left field line plated two runners in scoring position. After a stolen base advanced the runner to third, a single down the line in right field pushed the margin to three. Another two-run double later in the stanza put the Lions ahead by five. MARCUS JOHNSON drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the third, but TCNJ countered with four over the next two frames. Montclair chipped away at the deficit in the fifth, as JARED LEVIS homered to right field, and Johnson singled up the middle to put a runner on for BILLY TIGAR, who doubled to left center to cut the margin to six.  The Lions answered with four runs in the home half of the inning on four hits, including three for extra bases. CHRIS GONZALO singled up the middle with two runners on in the sixth to drive in BRODY DIERS from second. Later in the inning, Levis reached on a fielder's choice that brought in MILES FEASTER to make the score 13-5. After TCNJ added three more runs in their half of the sixth, the Red Hawks once again answered offensively in the next stanza. Tigar led off the inning with a double to left center, and was driven in during the next at-bat by MICHAEL MURPHY on a single to left field. Later in the frame, DANNY CORCORAN used a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to plate Murphy for the seventh run of the day for Montclair. Levis and LUKAS EGENHAUSER led off the eighth with back-to-back hits, and Tigar homered to center two at-bats later to clear the bases and cut the margin to seven. In the ninth, MILES FEASTER walked and Corcoran was hit by a pitch to put two runners on to start the final frame. After Egenhauser was hit by a pitch to load the bases, DYLAN BRIGGS singled to right center to plate two runs and trim the deficit to five. With two outs in the inning, Tigar doubled to left center to drive in two more to make it 17-14, but the Red Hawks could not get any closer.
After Levis led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a groundout, Tigar drove in the contest's opening marker on a single to right field. TCNJ put the first two runners on in the home half of the first, but COLIN DOWLEN induced a double play and an inning-ending strikeout to prevent the rally. Montclair put the first two batters on in the second for MILES FEASTER, who doubled to left center to drive in both runners. Levis singled two at-bats later with runners on the corners to drive in Feaster, and with two runners in scoring position, back-to-back singles from Tigar and MICHAEL MURPHY vaulted the lead to six. Following a pitching change, Diers ripped a single to left field to plate Tigar, and a throwing error later in the frame allowed two more tallies to go on the board for the visitors. TCNJ notched a pair of runs in the third, kicking off the stanza with back-to-back hits to put runners on the corners. A single to left field brought in the opening run for the Lions, and a bases-loaded walk later in the inning doubled their total to cut the margin to seven. Dowlen ended the rally with a three-pitch strikeout and groundout to end the third. The Lions added another run in the fifth, and the Red Hawks countered in the sixth on an RBI single from Briggs. TCNJ climbed back into the game in the home half of the sixth, plating seven runs on six hits to tie the game at 10 as the game turned over to the final three innings. Briggs used a sacrifice fly in the eighth to put Montclair back in front, but TCNJ responded with four runs to take a three-run advantage going into the ninth. In the ninth, Levis and Tigar reached with infield singles to put runners on the corners. Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two at-bats later, ZACH STEARNS launched a two-out grand slam to center field to push the Red Hawks back in front, 15-14. TCNJ leveled the game in the bottom of the ninth on a home run, and the game was called due to darkness in the 10th, ending in a tie.


TEAM LEADERS
MONTCLAIR STATE (24-14-1)
OPS: BILLY TIGAR, 1.066
Batting Average: BILLY TIGAR, .389
Hits: MARCUS JOHNSON, 46
Runs scored: LUKAS EGENHAUSER, 37
RBI: Two Tied for 33
Doubles: MARCUS JOHNSON, 14
Triples: LUKAS EGENHAUSER, 3
Home Runs: CHASE FISCHER, 8
On Base %: ZACH STEARNS, .529
Stolen Bases: JARED LEVIS, 21

Pitching Record: PATRICK CUCCURULLO, 5-0
Innings Pitched: PATRICK CUCCURULLO, 63.0
ERA: PATRICK TEEHAN 2.34
WHIP: PATRICK TEEHAN .89
Strikeouts: PATRICK CUCCURULLO, 51
Opponent's Batting Average: PATRICK TEEHAN, .197
Least amount of Hits Allowed: PATRICK TEEHAN, 25
Least number of Runs Allowed: PATRICK TEEHAN, 14
Saves:  PATRICK TEEHAN, 9

Putouts: ZACH STEARNS, 216
Assists: LUKAS EGENHAUSER, 97
Fielding% %: 14 Tied at 1.000
Double Plays: BILLY TIGAR, 22

 
THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY (23-15-1)
OPS: Ryan Goodall, 1.067
Batting Average: Mike LaGravenis, .378
Hits: Mike LaGravenis, 59
Runs scored: Mike LaGravenis, 49
RBI: Ryan Goodall, 42
Doubles: Gianni Marino, 14
Triples: Six Tied for 1
Home Runs: Two Tied for 7
On Base %: Ryan Goodall, .491
Stolen Bases: Mike LaGravenis, 18
 
Pitching Record: Jackson Malouf, 5-2
Innings Pitched: Jackson Malouf, 65.2
ERA: Jackson Malouf, 1.37
WHIP: Jackson Malouf, .99
Strikeouts: Jackson Malouf, 64
Opponent's Batting Average: Jackson Malouf, .229
Least amount of Hits Allowed: Jordan Gray, 48
Least number of Runs Allowed: Jackson Malouf, 19
Saves: Evan Frank, 1
 
Putouts: Diego Salazar, 190
Assists: Zach Hochheiser, 256
Fielding%: 11 Tied at 1.000
Double Plays: Zach Hochheiser, 12

SCOUTING THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
The Lions enter the NJAC Tournament as the three seed with a 10-7-1 NJAC record and a 23-15-1 overall record in 2025. In 2024, TCNJ compiled a 23-17 overall record with a 9-9 NJAC record. They qualified for the NJAC Tournament and won matchups against Stockton (7-5) and Rutgers-Camden (6-4) before being eliminated with losses to Ramapo (6-3) and Rowan (8-3). According to the 2025 NJAC Preseason poll, TCNJ was labeled the conference's "dark horse" and was predicted to place fourth.  

SERIES HISTORY
The Red Hawks and the Lions face off in contest 202 in their long-storied rivalry. Montclair holds the all-time record at 111-87-3.

LAST MEETING
These two teams met just this past Sunday in doubleheader action, where TCNJ won game one, 17-14, and both teams tied game two, 15-15


UP NEXT
Montclair State University will now head back home to Yogi Berra Stadium, where the rest of the NJAC Tournament will be played starting on Saturday, May 3. With a win, the Red Hawks would face the winner of the Rowan-Ramapo game at 7:00 p.m. With a loss, Montclair will play the winner of the Kean-Rutgers-Camden matchup at 3:30 p.m.