The Matchup: Towson (20-32, 10-10 CAA) vs. Northeastern (30-8, 18-2 CAA)
The Game: May 20, 3 p.m. | May 21, 3 p.m. | May 22, 1 p.m.
Place: John B. Schuerholz Park – Towson, Md.
Broadcast: Towson Sports Network (Saturday only)
Live Stats: towsontigers.com
 
TOWSON, Md. – Before the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament commences, the top two teams from the CAA North will play a three-game series at Schuerholz as the Towson University baseball team hosts Northeastern from May 20-22.
 
Game times will be 3 p.m. on May 20, 3 p.m. for May 21 and 1 p.m. on May 22.
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Towson Sports Network.  In addition, live stats will be available for all games on towsontigers.com.
 
This is a rescheduled series from mid-April, which was postponed due to a potential COVID case in the Northeastern program.
 
Towson split a four-game series with Hofstra over the weekend at home, securing a place in the CAA Tournament, to enter at 20-32 overall and 10-10 in the CAA North.  Northeastern is coming off a series split at Delaware last weekend to stand at 30-8 overall and 18-2 in the CAA North.
 
These two teams met at the start of May in Massachusetts for a four-game series, with the Huskies winning all four contests.  All-time, Northeastern leads the series 38-24.
 
Projected Starting Rotation - Towson:
Game 1 - Josh Seils, RHP (3-5, 5.92 ERA, 73.0 IP, 53/37 K-BB)
Game 2 - Nick Janowicz, RHP (3-2, 6.63 ERA, 55.2 IP, 48/27 K-BB)
Game 3 - Danny Madden, LHP (1-2, 4.61 ERA, 54.2 IP, 50/37 K-BB)
 
Projected Starting Rotation - Northeastern:
Game 1 - Cam Schlittler, RHP (6-0, 1.40 ERA, 58.0 IP, 69/14 K-BB)
Game 2 - Kyle Murphy, RHP (6-0, 3.09 ERA, 55.1 IP, 72/13 K-BB)
Game 3 - Sebastian Keane, RHP (4-1, 4.72 ERA, 53.1 IP, 58/18 K-BB)
 
CAA TOURNAMENT BOUND
Towson is off to the CAA Tournament at UNCW for the first time since 2013 by way of finishing second in the CAA North.  Towson's last time in the CAA Tournament, the Tigers won the league and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
 
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 VS. HOFSTRA
Towson took the first two games in a four-game set vs. Hofstra 4-2 and 8-5 to secure a CAA Tournament berth, falling in the second two games 6-4 and 8-5.
Key stat:
--Noah Cabrera hit go-ahead grand slam in 8th of Gm 2
Top Towson batter:
--#3 Danny Becerra: .333, 3 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Top Towson pitcher:
--#30 Josh Seils: W, CG, 9 IP, 2 R, 7 K (Game 1)
 
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 65 bases in 89 attempts.  Javon Fields is 18-for-23 on stolen bases, second in the CAA in steals, while Danny Becerra is 11-for-16.  As of May 18, Towson is 41st 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 331 free passes off 251 walks and 80 hit-by-pitches.  251 walks are 13th in the NCAA while 80 hit-by-pitches is eighth, 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 .259 with 46 free passes and nine steals.  Danny Becerra, transfer from San Diego Mesa, is the team's starting shortstop and is second on the team with 11 stolen bases, adding a .243 average.  Illinois State transfer Nolan Young is the second baseman, hitting .248 with 23 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:
Northeastern is leading the CAA in each batting average at .299 and ERA at 3.10.  Redshirt sophomore outfielder Jared Dupere is the CAA's leader in home runs with 15, hitting .362 with 11 doubles and 37 RBI.  On the pitching end, redshirt freshman Cam Schlittler is the Friday starter, being 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 58 innings.