STAFF REPORTS
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LOUDONVILLE — The Canisius baseball team enters a pivotal Easter weekend matchup on Friday, taking on the rival Siena Saints. The two teams will matchup for a doubleheader on Friday, beginning at noon, followed by a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Griffs are at a critical point of the schedule, as the squad is currently 18-13 overall but just 2-4 in MAAC action. Siena is currently tied for second in the MAAC, with a 4-2 mark and a 11-16-1 overall record.
The Red Foxes got the best of the Blue and Gold last weekend, sweeping the Griffs in three games, (10-7, 11-4 and 13-3).
In the weekend matchup, offense should be on full display as both Siena and Canisius are in the top-3 in the conference in batting average, with Canisius posting a second-best mark of .267, while Siena is slightly behind with a .265 team batting average.
Canisius has scored the most runs in the conference with 171 having crossed the plate for the Blue and Gold. Siena has plated 134 runs this season.
Likewise the Saints and Griffs matchup pretty similarly when it comes to pitching, with both teams middle of the pack in team ERA.
The Griffs have a team ERA of 4.39, dropping the team to fifth, after a rough weekend against the Red Foxes. Siena is sixth in the MAAC in team ERA with a mark of 4.39.
When it comes to strikeouts in the league, the Blue and Gold once again hold an edge over its conference foes, having fanned 217 batters, while Siena has struck out 168 batters this season.
Jake Lumley continues to be the league’s most consistent hitter throughout the season, belting 42 hits, with a .375 batting average to go along with 24 runs, and 14 RBI.
Siena’s Brian Kelly is third in the league in batting average with a mark of .367, with 29 hits, 12 runs and 10 RBI.
Ryan Stekl is tied for the team lead RBI this season, knocking in 25 this season, matching Niagara’ Greg Cullen.
Following the team’s trio of games this weekend, the Blue and Gold have another midweek contest against Buffalo at the Demske Sports Complex on April 18. Game time is set for 3 p.m., before playing Cornell on April 19. Canisius is back home for a MAAC series on Saturday, playing Rider in a doubleheader beginning at noon, before finishing the series on Sunday at noon.
