Montclair, NJ- Now ranked in two different polls (D3baseball.com/ABCA), the #24/#21 Montclair State University baseball team is set for its two-day series against New Jersey City on Thursday and Friday.  

GAME INFO
Thursday's game will be played at Yogi Berra Stadium. Friday will be played at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. Both games are set for 3:30 p.m. starts.  Live coverage of the games can be found at montclairathletics.com

LAST TIME OUT
Montclair honored its senior class before earning decisive 13-5 and 13-1 wins against TCNJ on Saturday. TCNJ placed the first two batters of the day on base with an infield single and a hit-by-pitch, but COLIN DOWLEN generated three consecutive outs to halt the run from the visitors. The Red Hawks took the lead in the home half of the stanza, as CHASE FISCHER notched an infield single that drove in JARED LEVIS from third. Later in the inning, a muffed throw by the first baseman allowed Fischer to come around and score to double the advantage. In the following inning, MICHAEL WANSAW JR. walked and stole second, advancing to third on a single up the middle from DANNY O'BRIEN to put runners on the corners. The freshman stole second during the next at-bat and got to third on a throwing error by the catcher that allowed Wansaw to come around to score, making the score 3-0. With two runners in scoring position, a pair of wild pitches would plate Levis and ZACH STEARNS to vault the advantage to six after two frames. Montclair added to their lead in their half of the fourth, as Stearns and Kaliske would move into scoring position with two outs for JOHN TOMSHO, who punched a single through the right side to clear the bases for runs seven and eight of the afternoon. Wansaw tallied an infield single, advancing Tomsho to third before he came in to score on a wild pitch. O'Brien recorded another hit during the next at-bat, placing the ball up the middle to plate Wansaw and nudge Montclair into double figures. A walk and groundout at the top of the fifth put a runner in scoring position for the visitors, who got on the board during the ensuing at-bat with a hit to center field. Despite loading the bases later on, the Lions could not trim the margin anymore as Dowlen induced a flyout to escape the jam. Fischer increased the lead to double-digits immediately after with a sacrifice fly, but TCNJ would battle back in the top of the sixth, placing three of the first four on base with a pair of walks and a hit batter, forcing a pitching change from the home side. After the break, a sacrifice fly paired with a single to left field plated a pair of runs, but the Red Hawks halted the rally right after with a groundout. Wansaw doubled to left field in the Montclair portion of the sixth, as LUKAS EGENHAUSER ripped a single to drive him in for the 12th tally of the day. TCNJ recorded a single to left center in the top of the eighth with a pair of runners in scoring position to cut the deficit to five, with the Red Hawks plating the final run of the opener on a ground-rule double from O'Brien shortly after. EVAN WOOD struck out the side in the top of the ninth to seal the victory.
 
Following a 1-2-3 top of the first, Montclair loaded the bases with hits from Levis and Stearns, followed by a hit-by-pitch from Fischer to set up Kaliske, who singled to right field to put the first tally on the board. After a pair of outs, O'Brien notched a single through the left side, driving in two runs, to make the score 3-0 after one inning of play. With Levis on second base the next frame, Kaliske doubled to left center to bring in another marker before JOHN TOMSHO drove him in on a single down the right field line. Tomsho stole second and advanced to third on an error with the throw down, as he would come in to score on a throwing error by the shortstop after the next ball was put into play. Kaliske added to his day in the home half of the third with an RBI single to center field that made the score 7-0 after a third of game play.  TCNJ found their only run of the second contest at the top of the fourth, capitalizing on a leadoff hit with a sacrifice bunt and double to right field. Back-to-back one-out singles from O'Brien and BILLY TIGAR put two on that would eventually get into scoring position on a groundout in the home half of the fourth. Levis drew a walk to load the bases, and Stearns was hit by a pitch to bring in a tally and keep the diamond full. The Lions were able to escape the situation, however, with a two-out strikeout. CHRIS MATESIC struck out the side in the visitor portion of the fifth, as the Red Hawks continued to strike offensively in their half of the frame. Kaliske led off the inning with a double to left center, and a sacrifice bunt placed two in scoring position after Tomsho was hit by a pitch. Following a pitching change, O'Brien punched a single up the middle to plate two, and Egenhauser drove in the freshman shortly after on a hit through the left side to make the score 11-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Kaliske tallied a walk and stole second, leading to an RBI single up the middle from Wansaw for Montclair's 12th run of the game. The Red Hawks retired the side in order in the seventh, with the Lions putting runners on second and third in the eighth on a walk and double. MATT KING halted the potential scoring opportunity, inducing a ground ball to second to end the inning. The final tally of the afternoon came in the home half of the eighth, as hits from JOEY NOLAN and Kaliske, along with a hit by pitch from Wansaw, would load the bases. During the next at-bat, O'Brien worked a five-pitch walk to plate Nolan. The Lions were set down 1-2-3 in the ninth as Montclair secured the doubleheader sweep.
 
 
MONTCLAIR STATE (23-7, 7-3 NJAC): 2026 Statistics
NEW JERSEY CITY (8-19-1, 1-9 NJAC): 2026 Statistics


SCOUTING NEW JERSEY CITY
The Gothic Knights enter this series with an 8-19-1 overall record and a 1-9 NJAC record, which currently puts them at the bottom of the conference standings. They are coming off an 11-5 loss at Stevens on Tuesday. Last season, they finished 13-26-1 and 3-15 in NJAC play that saw them outside of the conference tournament. According to the 2026 NJAC Preseason poll. The Gothic Knights are slated to finish 10^th, although they did receive a first-place vote.  
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Red Hawks and the Gothic Knights conclude a longstanding rivalry that dates back to 1937 and has spanned 142 games. Montclair owns the series at 123-18-1 and has won 12 of the last 13.

LAST MEETING
In their last contest on April 18 of last season, Montclair won 14-3 to sweep the season series.  


UP NEXT
Montclair State University will head to Rutgers-Camden for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18. The first of two games is set to start at 11:30 a.m.