The Oswego State baseball team will look to continue its early success this season as it starts a three-game set with SUNY New Paltz on Friday.
The three games were scheduled to be played in Oswego at Laker Field, but have been moved to New Paltz due to poor field conditions.
The Lakers have yet to play a home game this season, as its previous two scheduled home contests against SUNY Cortland and St. Lawrence were postponed earlier this week, also due to poor field conditions.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are coming off a doubleheader split with the College at Brockport and a 6-2 loss to SUNY Oneonta earlier this week. New Paltz will come into Oswego sporting a 9-13 overall record (1-5 in conference).
For the Lakers, players to watch in this SUNYAC matchup include freshman Eric Hamilton and senior outfielder Scott Buniak.
Last week’s Oswego State Athlete of the Week, Hamilton has been on a tear as of late and is currently hitting .375 with 12 hits, seven runs scored and six RBIs.
Buniak has enjoyed similar success with the bat lately, hitting .372 while leading the team with 16 hits and 10 stolen bases.
The New Paltz program was also honored this past week when two of their players were awarded the SUNYAC baseball Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week.
Senior Andrew Grann was named SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week for the week ending March 30th after throwing a seven-inning shutout against Brockport. He currently holds a 3.86 ERA, while leading the Hawks with 25 strikeouts.
Meanwhile, sophomore shortstop Andrew DiNardo was awarded Player of the Week after going 4-for-7 with a run scored and two RBIs last week.
DiNardo is currently hitting .355 with a team-leading 11 runs scored, 22 hits and 10 walks.
As a team, the Lakers are hitting .302 to the Hawks’ .274, but the Hawks have the edge in team ERA, sporting a 3.91 mark compared to the Lakers’ 4.77.
In order to top New Paltz on Friday, the Lakers will need to continue to be aggressive on the basepaths.
The Hawks have allowed 33 stolen bases this season, the second most in the conference. The Hawks will also need to look to improve on defense, as the team has committed more errors (43) than any other SUNYAC team.
The series starts with a double header on Saturday, with games set to start at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. The teams will also play Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
