UConn Huskies set to take on Tulane at Dunkin’ Donuts Park to attempt to continue their hot streak. (Eric Wang/The Daily Campus)
The UConn baseball team will look to keep its current hot streak going against conference foe Tulane. The No. 20 Huskies have won eight of their last 11 games, with four wins coming against ranked opponents.
Outfielder Troy Stefanski, who was named to the American Conference Honor Roll for batting .412 with seven RBI and a homer against Cincinnati, stayed hot against Holy Cross as he had three hits and an RBI. The senior’s .324 batting average is tied for ninth in the conference.
UConn (23-12-1, 7-5 the American) is currently in fourth place, trailing Houston, USF and ECU. However, the Huskies are No. 12 in RPI, which is above Houston and USF. Tulane (20-22, 6-6 the American) has possession of sixth place.
Lefty Mason Feole, who has taken over Friday night starts with Tim Cate sidelined due to injury, has emerged as a leader for the Huskies. His 2.72 ERA is seventh in the conference, while his 77 strikeouts are third. The sophomore lost a pitcher’s duel Friday night against Cincinnati, but head coach Jim Penders said Feole set the tone for the weekend.
Isaac Feldstein, tied for the most homeruns in the conference (10), has missed the last two games after he left Saturday’s game with an injury. Anthony Nucerino has started in his place.
Catcher Zac Susi returned to the lineup Tuesday after he missed two games with a bruised pinky. The junior picked up a hit and two RBI against Holy Cross.
Sophomore Anthony Prato has been catching fire; the shortstop is hitting .298/.374/.377 with one homerun and 14 RBI. Prato has also been an effective base-stealer for the Huskies; his 13 are third in the conference. Tulane’s catcher Acy Owen has allowed the most stolen bases (47) in the American.
Grant Witherspoon has been Tulane’s best hitter all season long. His slash line is .340/.454/.568, to go with 17 doubles and 12 stolen bases. Kody Hoese has been a big-time hitter for the club with a slash line of .308/.385/.440, with three homers and 26 RBI.
Keagan Gillies has been the team’s best starting pitcher this season. His 2.98 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 57.1 innings pitched lead the staff. However, their team ERA of 5.47 is the worst in the conference.
UConn will be on the hunt for its fourth straight series win against conference opponents. Friday and Saturday’s game will be played at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, while Sunday’s contest will be played on campus at J.O. Christian Field. The gams will begin at 7:05 p.m. Friday, 2:05 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Michael Logan is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at michael.logan@uconn.edu.
