BB: Hofstra Travels To UNCW For Three-Game Set This Weekend

Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Baseball team returns to action Friday evening when it begins a Colonial Athletic Association series at league-leading UNCW. First pitch Friday night is set for 6 p.m. Game two on Saturday will be at 2 p.m. and the series will conclude Sunday at Noon.

Hofstra enters the game after losing three games at Elon this past weekend. The Pride was supposed to play a midweek contest against St. John's this past Tuesday, but the game was rained out. Hofstra is currently 13-27 overall and 4-10 in league action. The Pride has relied on the long ball this season as the team has 39 home runs paced by Teddy Cillis' nine. The red-shirt sophomore is also batting .274 with 18 RBIs. Sophomore Mat Annunziata has seven home runs, 34 RBIs and a .280 average, while red-shirt freshman Nick Bottari is has shipped in six home runs and 23 RBIs. The 39 home runs are the most in a season since the 2005 squad hit 45 in 56 games.

UNCW enters the weekend with a 28-10 overall mark and an 8-2 record in the CAA. The Seahawks have won 13 of the last 14 games. Steven Linkous leads the team with a .401 average and 22 stolen bases. Nick Feight, who has been CAA Player of the Week in each of the last two weeks, has a .397 average, 18 doubles, 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. As a team, UNCA is batting .325 with 53 home runs. The pitching staff is anchored by Ryan Foster, who is 8-1 with a 2.44 ERA.

Cillis (2-0, 5.19) will also get the start on the mound against the Seahawks in Friday's opener. Cillis started his career at UNCW in 2014 before transferring after his freshman season. He spent a year at a junior college and enrolled at Hofstra this past fall. He will be opposed by Foster. Game two's matchup will be freshman John Rooney (2-5, 4.13) versus Alex Royalty (6-2, 4.50). Game three will pit senior Bowie Matteson (3-4, 4.75) against Cory Gantz (3-0, 4.01).

Hofstra trails in the overall series with UNCW, 32-9. The Seahawks swept the series from the Pride last season in Hempstead, rallying in all three contests. UNCW won game one, 8-7, as a Casey Golden two-run home run snapped a 6-6 tie in the eighth. In game two, UNCW used a four-run seventh to grab a 6-3 lead en route to an 8-6 win. Kennard McDowell had a three-run home run for the Seahawks. UNCW won game three, 5-3, as Golden's two-run double in the ninth snapped a 3-3 tie.

Following the series, Hofstra will next be in action next Friday when it opens a home series against Northeastern at 3 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#25 Mat Annunziata: OF; 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R

#29 Bowie Matteson: P; 6' 3"; Senior; R/R

#14 Nick Bottari: C/IF; 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#16 Teddy Cillis: OF/P; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore; L/L

#45 John Rooney: P; 6' 5"; Freshman; L/L

Players Mentioned

#25 Mat Annunziata
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#29 Bowie Matteson
: 6' 3"; Senior; R/R
: P

#14 Nick Bottari
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: C/IF

#16 Teddy Cillis
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore; L/L
: OF/P

#45 John Rooney
: 6' 5"; Freshman; L/L
: P