The Games: Towson (1-6, 0-0 CAA) vs. Villanova (1-5, 0-0 Big East)
When: Wednesday, March 1 – 2 p.m.
Where: John B. Schuerholz Park – Towson, Md.
Broadcast: FloSports ($)
Series: Towson leads series 3-2
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University baseball team is set to host its first game of 2023 at John B. Schuerholz Park when Villanova comes to town Wednesday, March 1 for a 2 p.m. showdown.
Admission for Towson games is free to the public. See the attached parking flyer for information on coming to campus.
The game will be broadcast online on FloSports. Visit FloSports.tv/CAA to view the full Colonial Athletic Association schedule and sign up today.
Following Wednesday's home opener, Towson is set to play a four-game weekend series against Eastern Michigan March 3-5.
Weekend Schedule:
March 3 - vs. Eastern Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
March 4 - vs. Eastern Michigan (DH), 11:00 a.m./2:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 - vs. Eastern Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
This will be the sixth time the Tigers and Wildcats have faced off on the diamond. Towson is 3-2 in five all-time matchups dating back to March 20, 1980. The two teams haven't placed since April 23, 1983, a game the Tigers won 15-6 in Towson, Md. This is the only time Towson will face Villanova this season.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Wildcats are 1-5 thus far on the season, picking up a win over North Florida during Friday evening's series opener. The Wildcats currently have four batters hitting at or over .300 on the year. Villanova has been outscored 59-29 in six games.
LAST TIME: TOWSON PICKS UP BIG WIN OVER BINGHAMTON
Balanced hitting up and down the lineup powered Towson to a decisive 10-1 victory over Binghamton on Sunday. The Tigers fell to Wake Forest and Mount St. Mary's earlier in the weekend.
Key stat:
--Towson pitchers combined for one earned run allowed against Binghamton.
Top Towson Batter:
--#17
Brian Heckelman: .333, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI
Top Towson Pitcher:
--#23
Nate Nabholz: 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 H, 4/3 K-BB
DICKERSON PICKS UP PRESEASON HONORS
Outfielder
Elijah Dickerson was selected as a Preseason Honorable Mention All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) by the league's head coaches. Dickerson was named an Honorable Mention All-CAA at the end of last season after batting .262 with 27 runs, 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBI. Dickerson was also named to the 2023 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List, an award based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
The 2023 roster highlights 16 newcomers: eight freshmen and eight transfers. Among notable transfers include power-hitting catcher from Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester,
John Cristino;
Jeremy Wagner, son of longtime MLB pitcher Billy Wagner; First Team All-MEC utility player
Jack Lawrence; and Kansas transfer
Reyce Curnane.
EARNING STRIPES
New pitching coach
Mike Ruppenthal joins the Towson staff ahead of the 2023 campaign after serving in the same role with Tyler Junior College. Tyler won the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DIII National Championship and Ruppenthal was subsequently named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) NJCAA DIII Assistant Coach of the Year.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
The 2023 roster features 14 players that hail from Maryland, including eight returners and six newcomers. Among the six newcomers, three are transfers and three are freshmen.
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Former Towson player, Richie Palacios, a third-round pick by Cleveland in 2018, made his Major League debut with the Guardians in 2022. He went 2-for-3 in his first game in the Show and finished the year batting .232 with seven runs, two doubles and 10 RBI. He did most of his damage as a pinch-hitter, where he hit .263 in 22 plate appearances with six RBI and three doubles. Palacios is currently listed on the Guardians' 2023 40-man roster and was selected to play for Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic next month. Brady Policelli, a 13th-round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019, 2020 and 2021 having spent six years in the minors. Gavin Weyman has pitched in independent league ball the past four years, throwing for the High Point Rockers and the Charleston Dirty Birds in the Atlantic League in 2022.
CAA NEWCOMERS
The CAA welcomes three new opponents in the 2023 season in Stony Brook, Monmouth and North Carolina A&T. Stony Brook enters as the sixth ranked team in the preseason among CAA coaches and three Seawolves were named to the 2023 Preseason All-CAA team. Newcomers Monmouth and North Carolina A&T were picked to finish ninth and 11th respectively in the coaches poll, each with one player named the 2023 Preseason All-CAA team.
TOWSON PICKED TENTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
Towson has been predicted to finish tenth in the CAA preseason coaches poll. Charleston was selected to finish first, followed by UNCW, Hofstra and Northeastern. William & Mary, Stony Brook, Elon, Delaware, Monmouth and North Carolina A&T round out the rankings.
