The Games: Towson (3-10, 0-0 CAA) @ North Carolina A&T (6-6, 0-0 CAA)
When: Friday, March 10 – 4 p.m. | Saturday, March 11 – 2 p.m. | Sunday, March 12 – 1 p.m.
Where: World War Memorial Stadium
Series: Towson leads the series 1-0
TOWSON, Md. – The Tigers are set to open the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) slate against conference newcomer North Carolina A&T in a three-game weekend series.
Weekend Schedule:
March 10 - @ North Carolina A&T, 4:00 p.m.
March 11 - @ North Carolina A&T, 2:00 p.m.
March 12 - @ North Carolina A&T, 1:00 p.m.
This will be the second all-time meeting between the Tigers and Aggies on the diamond. The last time they faced was February 20, 2010 at Schuerholz Park in a game the Tigers won 8-1.
Following this trip, Towson returns to Schuerholz Park for a five-game homestand. The Tigers will face Marist on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games will start at 3 p.m. CAA-foe UNCW visits that weekend for a three-game series from March 17-19.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
North Carolina A&T comes into their first-ever CAA series at 6-6 on the year. The Aggies were picked to finish 11th of 11 teams in the CAA Preseason Poll, selected among the league's head coaches. The Aggies have a series sweep over Maryland Eastern Shore, as well as wins over Western Michigan, Bucknell and Gardner-Webb. Aggie catcher Canyon Brown is batting .333 with 4 doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. The N.C. A&T pitching staff currently has a 6.58 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 108.0 innings pitched.
LAST TIME: TOWSON PUTS UP HIGHEST RUN TOTAL SINCE 2020, WINS BIG OVER GEORGE WASHINGTON
The Tigers put on an offensive clinic Wednesday against George Washington, scoring 21 runs on 20 hits. All but one Towson starter recorded a multi-hit game on the afternoon.
Key Stat:
--The Tigers scored their most runs in a game since
2020
Top Towson Batter:
--#26
Bryce Frederick: 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB
Top Towson Pitcher:
--#10
Justin Rebok: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 K
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.
