The Matchups: Towson (12-34, 6-12 CAA) at Penn State (20-21, 3-16 Big Ten), at Charleston (28-19, 10-8 CAA)
 
Towson at Penn State
When: May 8^th – 6:30 p.m.
Where: Medlar Field at Lubrano Park – State College, Pa.
Online Broadcast: BTN+
Series: Penn State leads 6-4
 
Towson at Charleston
When: May 10^th – 6 p.m. | May 11^th – 2 p.m. | May 12^th – 1 p.m.
Where: Ballpark at Patriots Point – Charleston, S.C.
Online Broadcast: CAA.tv
Series: Charleston leads 16-3
 
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Towson University baseball team will play its final road games of the regular season, challenging Big Ten foe Penn State in State College on Wednesday, May 8th at 6:30 p.m., then heading to Charleston for a three-game series this weekend.  The Tigers play the Cougars on Friday, May 10th at 6 p.m., Saturday, May 11th at 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 12th at 1 p.m.
 
The Towson-Penn State game will be broadcast online on BTN+ while the Towson-Charleston games will be on CAA.tv.
 
Towson last played a three-game series in James Madison, falling in all contests, to enter Wednesday at 12-34 overall and 6-12 in the Colonial Athletic Association.  Out of the Big Ten Conference, Penn State split a doubleheader against Rutgers last Saturday to stand at 20-21 overall and 3-16 in its league.  Charleston got swept by William & Mary over the weekend to start the week at 28-19 overall and 10-8 in the CAA.
 
Five different seasons from 1986 to 1993, Towson and Penn State played a doubleheader, the last a split in Maryland with Penn State winning 10-8 and the Tigers taking an 8-2 victory.  All-time, Penn State has a narrow 6-4 lead in the series.  Towson won one of three last year vs. the Cougars, with Charleston leading the all-time series 16-3.
 
Freshman Leading the Way
Javon Fields, a true freshman, has proven to be a top tier newcomer, currently leading Towson in several categories including hits (48), doubles (10), triples (4) and stolen bases (13).  He had a 14-game bases reached streak snapped on March 30.
 
Approaching Single Season Records
As the season winds down, some Tigers are getting close to adding their names to the Towson record book.
 
Noah Cabrera has been hit by a pitch 13 times, currently tied for ninth in Towson single season history.  The record is 20 by Brandon Butler in 2012.
 
Each Javon Fields and Richard Miller have hit four triples, two away from getting into the top-10 in program history.
 
When There is a Will, There is a Weyman
Gavin Weyman has been a rock as the Saturday starter, going 3-1 with five earned runs in 29 innings (1.55 ERA) in games vs. Elon, Hofstra, Delaware and JMU in April and May, striking out 23 batters in that time.
 
Piazza Bringing in Runs
Zach Piazza has five sacrifice flies on the year to tie for second in the CAA in that category, sporting a team-best 26 RBI on the season.
 
Towson is Traveling
The Tigers will be traveling quite a bit in 2019 with games scheduled in 10 different states, primarily up and down the East Coast. 
 
Along with the home state of Maryland, states Towson will have games in this year includes California, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
 
John Schuerholz Headlines First Pitch Dinner
Kicking off the 2019 season, Towson held its second annual First Pitch Dinner on February 2nd, at the Valley Mansion.
 
John Schuerholz, a Towson alum and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was the headline speaker for the event, MCed by Jay Rokeach, the PA announcer for the Miami Hurricanes baseball team.  Local media personality Keith Mills held a question and answer session with Richie Palacios and Brady Policelli, former Tigers currently in the minors.
 
Almost 300 people in total attended the dinner, including Towson President Dr. Kim Schatzel and Athletics Director Tim Leonard.
 
Stramara Named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
Senior Dean Stramara is one of 75 players nationally to be selected to the 2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
 
In 2018, he had the best ERA for Towson at 3.94 in 21 appearances, striking out 48 batters in 59.1 innings.
 
Towson Predicted to Finish 9th in the CAA Preseason Poll
In the coaches preseason poll, Towson was predicted to finish ninth in the CAA in 2019.  Towson got 13 points.
 
Elon is predicted to finish first with 57 points and four first-place votes, followed by a tie for second between UNC Wilmington and Northeastern.
 
CAA Preseason Poll (first place votes, points)
1. Elon (4), 57
t2. UNC Wilmington (1), 54
t2. Northeastern (4), 54
4. Charleston, 47
5. Delaware, 34
6. James Madison, 32
7. William & Mary, 19
8. Hofstra, 14
9. Towson, 13
 
Tom Flacco Joins the Baseball Team
Tom Flacco, the 2018 CAA Offensive Player of the Year for the Towson football team, comes to the diamond for the baseball team in 2019.
 
Flacco, a graduate of Rutgers University, was drafted in the 32nd round out of high school in 2014 by the Philadelphia Phillies, electing to attend Western Michigan to play football.
 
His brother, Michael, played in the minors from 2009-12 after being drafted in the 31st round by the Baltimore Orioles.
 
Maryland, My Maryland
Towson sports 12 players from the home state of Maryland, coming from all areas of the region.
 
In addition, two freshmen, Trent Gast-Woodard and Nick Brown, each are from the home city of Baltimore.  Gast-Woodard and Brown each attended Archbishop Curley.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Penn State is currently in last place in the Big Ten under sixth year head coach Rob Cooper.  Cooper, like Towson head coach Matt Tyner, played his collegiate ball at Miami.
 
The top player in batting average for Penn State is senior outfielder Jordan Bowersox, who hits .316 with 26 runs, two home runs and 12 RBI.  In the infield is sophomore Kris Kremer, batting .240 with four home runs and 21 RBI.  Scheduled to pitch is sophomore Bailey Dees, who is 2-1 with a 3.99 ERA, striking out 54 in 47.1 innings.
 
Charleston, in second place in the CAA, is coached by Chad Holbrook in year two with the program after six years at South Carolina.
 
One of the top power hitters in the CAA, senior catcher Danny Wondrack has a .309 batting average, 12 home runs, nine doubles and 44 RBI.  In the outfield, redshirt senior Logan McRae has a .266 batting average, adding 15 doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBI.
 
10 different pitchers have started games for the Cougars.  Junior righty Griffin McLarty has started 12 games, going 6-4 with a 2.26 ERA and 89 strikeouts.  The closer is senior right-hander Nathan Ocker, sporting 10 saves and a 5-4 record off a 2.80 ERA and 44 strikeouts.
 
Towson Athletics – Helper Helper Community Service National Champion
The Towson University athletics department considers community service to be one of its highest priorities, and today, the NCAA has announced that Towson is the Division I national champion of the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Competition for the Fall 2018 semester.
 
Towson completed the most community service hours among all schools in the competition, including 75 different Division I departments and approximately 300 total programs across the country.
 
"It is a great honor to be a national champion of community service," said Towson director of athletics Tim Leonard. "Community service is a part of our DNA here at Towson University, and our student-athletes represent this institution with pride here in the Greater Baltimore area.  This is a fantastic achievement for everyone in our department, including all student-athletes, coaches, administration and staff."
 
Towson student-athletes and staff completed 5,583 hours of community service from September to November around the Greater Baltimore area. 
 
- TowsonTigers.com –