The Matchup: Towson (21-34, 11-12 CAA) vs. Charleston (24-23, 12-12 CAA)
The Game: Wednesday, May 26 – 12 p.m.
Place: Brooks Field – Wilmington, N.C.
Broadcast: FloBaseball ($)
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com
 
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The 5-seed Towson University baseball team is back in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament for the first time since 2013 and will open against 4-seed Charleston on Wednesday, May 26 at noon in Wilmington.
 
All games of the CAA Tournament will be held at Brooks Field in Wilmington, North Carolina and will be broadcast on FloBaseball, available via a subscription.  Live stats will be available by UNCW on statbroadcast.com.
 
Towson was an automatic qualifier into the CAA Tournament for being second in the CAA North while Charleston was one of the at-large selections, being third in the CAA South.
 
Towson fell in two of three home games vs. Northeastern last week to stand at 21-34 overall and 11-12 in the CAA North.  Charleston hosted Elon this past weekend and fell in two of three, coming into the tournament at 24-23 overall and 12-12 in the CAA South.
 
All-time, Charleston leads the series 19-3, having won the last three.  These two teams have never played each other in the CAA Tournament.
 
The winner of this contest will play 1-seed Northeastern on Thursday, May 27 at 3 p.m. while the loser of the contest will play the loser of 3-seed Elon/6-seed William & Mary on Thursday, May 27 at 11 a.m.
 
Projected Starting Pitcher - Towson:
Josh Seils, RHP (3-6, 6.03 ERA, 77.2 IP, 55/38 K-BB)
 
Projected Starting Pitcher - Charleston:
Jordan Carr, LHP (3-3, 4.18 ERA, 56.0 IP, 49/18 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 FALLS IN SERIES VS. NU
Towson evened the series with a 2-1 victory over Northeastern on Friday, but fell in the three-game set with 15-2 and 5-0 defeats on the first and third games respectively.
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 143 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 92 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 23, Towson is 43rd 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 342 free passes off 259 walks and 83 hit-by-pitches.  259 walks are 12th in the NCAA while 83 hit-by-pitches is ninth, 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 .260 with 51 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 .248 average.  Illinois State transfer Nolan Young is the second baseman, hitting .251 with 26 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:
Charleston is fourth in the CAA in each batting average (.273) and earned run average (4.89).  Ranking in the top-10 in each batting average and home runs, senior outfielder Harrison Hawkins hits .348 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 50 RBI.  At first base is senior Ari Sechopoulos, hitting .283 with seven homers and 38 RBI.  On the mound is freshman righty William Privette with a 3.96 ERA, striking out 28 in 36.1 innings.