The Matchup: Towson (7-16, 0-0 CAA) vs. Delaware (3-5, 0-0 CAA)
The Games: April 2, 3 p.m. | April 3, 11 a.m. doubleheader | April 4, 1 p.m.
Place: John B. Schuerholz Park – Towson, Md.
Live Stats: towsontigers.com
 
TOWSON, Md. - For the first time in over 22 months, the Towson University baseball team will be playing a CAA series, hosting rival Delaware at Schuerholz Park for a four-game set from April 2-4.
 
Live stats will be available via towsontigers.com.  Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Towson Sports Network.
 
This is the first of two series between the two in the CAA North Division.
 
Each team is playing their first games in CAA play.  Towson is coming off a 3-out-of-4 series victory over George Mason to stand at 7-16 overall.  Delaware is playing its first four-game series of the year, last falling in a pair of games to Fordham to come into the weekend at 3-5.
 
Until the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season, Towson and Delaware had played every year since 1980.  Delaware leads the all-time series 83-42.  Towson took the last series, winning in 2-of-3 from April 20-21, 2019 at home.
 
Projected Starting Rotation - Towson:
Game 1 - Josh Seils, RHP (2-3, 7.42 ERA, 30.1 IP, 29/13 K-BB)
Game 2 - Nick Janowicz, RHP (1-0, 7.78 ERA, 19.2 IP, 16/11 K-BB)
Game 3 - Danny Madden, LHP (1-2, 3.68 ERA, 29.1 IP, 25/13 K-BB)
Game 4 - Nick Ramanjulu, RHP (0-4, 8.38 ERA, 19.1 IP, 18/9 K-BB)
Projected Starting Rotation - Delaware:
Game 1 - Chris Ludman, RHP (1-3, 4.78 ERA, 26.1 IP, 26/10 K-BB)
Game 2 - Dom Velazquez, RHP (2-2, 4.05 ERA, 20.0 IP, 27/6 K-BB)
Game 3 - TBA
Game 4 - TBA

FIELDS NAMED PRESEASON HM ALL-CAA
Javon Fields was selected as 2021 Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA in the preseason coaches poll.  Fields was previously 2020 Preseason All-CAA and 2019 CAA All-Rookie Team.
 
He has started nearly every game in his Towson career as the team's centerfielder, hitting .293 last season.
 
LAST TIME: TOWSON WINS 3 OF 4 VS MASON
Including two walk-off victories and a walk-off defeat, Towson took three of four vs. George Mason, the first series win of the year.
Key stat:
--Towson wins Games 1, 4 in walk-off fashion
Top Towson batter:
--#4 Javon Fields: .417, HR, RBI, 3 BB
Top Towson pitcher:
--#17 Danny Madden: W (1-2), 6 IP, R, 5 K
 
SEILS, CAMPER NAMED TOP-10 CAA DRAFT CLASS PROSPECTS
Two Tigers, Josh Seils and Burke Camper, were ranked in the top-10 among CAA players in their respective Major League Baseball classes by Perfect Game USA.  Among CAA players, Seils is ninth in the 2021 draft class while Camper is ninth in the 2022 draft class.
 
Seils was eligible for the MLB Draft last year but returned to Towson.  The junior pitcher is Towson's Friday starter, has 117 career strikeouts and threw 6.1 innings with two runs against #7 Miami last year.
 
Camper was one of the CAA's top freshmen last year, hitting .314 with three doubles and 11 RBI in 15 games, split between catcher and designated hitter.
 
GO!
Towson has had a strong start on the basepaths, stealing 41 bases in 50 attempts.  Javon Fields is 8-for-9 on stolen bases while Danny Becerra is 9-for-11.  As of March 22nd, Towson is 10th in DI in total stolen bases.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
14 who suit up for the Black & Gold hail from the Old Line State of Maryland.  This includes several players from the Baltimore metropolitan area: Nick Brown, Alex Parker, Trent Gast-Woodard, Bryce Frederick and Ryan Schechner.
 
BRING BACK THE STAFF...
Towson returns 12 pitchers who accounted for 127.2 of the 128 innings thrown during the 2020 season.  They combined for a 4.29 team ERA under pitching coach Miles Miller, 1.3 points better than in 2019.  Two Tigers, Austin Weber and Nick Ramanjulu, ranked top-10 in the CAA in ERA at 2.94 and 3.22 respectively.
 
NEWCOMERS ADD TO THE LINEUP
Several newcomers have been key parts to the Towson lineup in 2021.  Danny Becerra, transfer from San Diego Mesa, is the team's starting shortstop and leads the team in batting average (.272).  Billy Godrick, grad transfer from Fordham, locks down right field and hits .256 with 17 free passes and six steals.  Illinois State transfer Nolan Young is the second baseman, hitting .256 with a team-best 12 RBI.
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.  Richie Palacios, a third round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #31 rated-prospect in the system, missing 2019 due to shoulder surgery.  Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 after earning FSL All-Star honors in 2019. Gavin Weyman pitched in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League in 2020 for the second straight year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Delaware has only been playing baseball since Mar. 7 with two-game weekends.  The top hitter so far is a freshman: catcher Mitchell Balint is hitting .348 with a home run and five RBI while junior first baseman Joseph Carpenter hits .321 with a homer and seven RBI.  As a pitching staff, Delaware has a 5.53 ERA.