May 9, 2008
Siena's baseball doubleheader with Iona Saturday, May 10 will be televised on TW3 for Time Warner Cable subscribers in the Capital Region. Robert Lee and Mike Demos will have the call with first pitch coming shortly after 12 p.m.
Siena (22-24/10-8 MAAC) has six league games remaining and needs to win five to guarantee a spot in the upcoming MAAC Championships May 22-24 in Trenton, N.J. The Saints have won 13 of 15 games, highlighted by a sweep at league contender Rider last weekend. Siena is led by senior Jacob Willis (Niantic, Conn.), who is just six hits shy of the school's single season record and only 13 short of the all-time career hits mark. The senior laden Saints will start Craig Chaput in the opener.
Iona (4-39/4-17) boasts two of the MAAC's top pitchers in seniors Shane Sveda and Bobby DiNuzzo. Sveda has 67 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched and a 2.94 ERA while DiNuzzo has struck out 42 in 48 innings and has two of the team's four victories. The Saints will likely see both arms Saturday. The pair limited Niagara to just three runs in 16 innings last week as the Gaels swept two from the Purple Eagles at home.
The teams will play a single game Sunday at noon. Prior to Sunday's game, the Saints will recognize the nine members of their senior class in a special Senior Day ceremony.