TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University baseball team is making a brief stop at home for a Tuesday, April 27 mid-week contest against La Salle, the first meeting since 2005, for a 3 p.m. game.
 
The game will be broadcast online by the Towson Sports Network.  Live stats will be available via towsontigers.com.
 
This was a recently added game with two earlier Towson mid-week contests being postponed due to inclement weather.
 
Towson is coming off a four-game weekend split in CAA play at Hofstra for records of 15-24 overall and 5-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association.  La Salle took three of four at home this weekend vs. St. Bonaventure to stand at 24-13 overall and 9-3 in Atlantic-10 Conference play.
 
Towson and La Salle have only met three times, including a doubleheader in 1983 and a single game in 2005, all at Towson.  The Tigers won all three contests, including 5-0 on May 17, 2005 at Schuerholz Park.
 
Projected Starting Pitcher - Towson:
Game 1 - Teddy Blumenauer, LHP (0-0, 20.25 ERA, 4.0 IP, 2/4 K-BB)
 
Projected Starting Rotation - La Salle:
Game 1 - Joe Messina, RHP (2-2, 3.24 ERA, 8.1 IP, 4/4 K-BB)
 
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 SPLITS WEEKEND AT HOFSTRA
In a wild series with three games being determined by one run, Towson and Hofstra split the series in Hempstead, with Towson winning two games on Friday and Hofstra taking two on Saturday.
Key stat:
--Towson came back from down 6-0 to win game 1 9-8
Top Towson batter:
--#13 Noah Cabrera: .474, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
Top Towson pitcher:
--#45 Nick Janowicz: ND, 7.0 IP, 1 R, 7 K (Game 2)
 
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 127 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 57 bases in 75 attempts.  Javon Fields is 15-for-19 on stolen bases while Danny Becerra is 10-for-13.  As of April 15, Towson is tied for 26th 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.
 
WE ARE TAKING FIRST
Towson has shown great patience at the plate this season, combining for 255 free passes off 196 walks and 59 hit-by-pitches.  196 walks are 13th in the NCAA while 59 hit-by-pitches are 18th, with each leading the CAA.
 
NEWCOMERS ADD TO THE LINEUP
Several newcomers have been key parts to the Towson lineup in 2021.  Billy Godrick, grad transfer from Fordham, locks down right field and hits .258 with 37 free passes and eight steals.  Danny Becerra, transfer from San Diego Mesa, is the team's starting shortstop and is second on the team with 10 stolen bases.  Illinois State transfer Nolan Young is the second baseman, hitting .233 with 17 RBI, third on the team.
 
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:
La Salle stands fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a .272 team batting average.  Redshirt sophomore Nick Di Vietro hits .344 with 32 walks and 16 RBI while classmate Elijah Dickerson hits .260 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 31 RBI.  Sophomore Joe Messina is expected to make his first start, standing with a 3.24 ERA in four appearances, striking out four in 8.1 innings.