The College of Staten Island baseball squad dropped a tough, out-of–conference, loss to NJAC-rivals Kean University over the weekend in walk-off fashion, and they will look to rebound against another familiar NJAC opponent in New Jersey City University this afternoon in a single, nine-inning, affair at the Thomas M. Gerrity Complex in Jersey City, NJ.

CSI vs. NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY
Matchup: College of Staten Island (5-5) vs. New Jersey City University (6-4) 
Where: Thomas M. Gerrity Complex – 440 South, Jersey City, NJ
All-Time Series: NJCU leads, 23-19
Last Meeting: April 10, 2017 – NJCU won Game 1, 10-8 / CSI won Game 2, 12-3
Players to Watch (CSI): The Dolphins’ bats are starting to pick up a bit and among the everyday starters, the team is led by Sean Becker overall with a .348 average and a very healthy .545 on-base percentage, thanks to his nine walks this season.  Frank Muzzio is close behind at .344, and leads the team overall with 11 hits.  Seven of Nick Meola’s 10 total hits have gone for extra bases, including two home runs this season, and he sports a team-best eight RBI.  Glenn Glennerster has seven extra-base hits out of nine total, and is batting .273.  On the mound, Chris Capellan leads the way with a 2-1 record and a 1.35 ERA.  Thomas Musso is next in line with a 3.86 ERA, sporting an even 1-1 record.
Players to Watch (NJCU):  Tom Pulcine has been leading the way through NJCU’s first nine games, sporting a .438 average.  He is tied with both Nick LoGatto and Dan Berardi with the team lead with 14 hits.  LoGatto leads the charge with 10 RBI and has stolen seven bases. Berardi leads all with five doubles.  Juan Pena is batting .345 and is showing healthy pop on the bat with two doubles, a triple and two home runs, helping him to a .690 slugging percentage.  He is also tied for the team lead with 10 RBI.  Mike Ramirez is the only NJCU starter who hasn’t suffered a loss, as he is 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA, and opponents are batting just .150 against him this season.  Jose Ortiz leads all with 14.1 innings pitched.
News & Notes: This has been a tight series, with the teams having split the last six meetings dating back to 2010.  The Gothic Knights had at one point won five-straight in the series from 2008-2010.  Overall, NJCU holds a 23-19 lead in the overall series, which dates back to 1978.  NJCU is 8-6 all-time at home against the Dolphins, but their last win over CSI at home was back in 2009, a 6-2 affair.  These two teams played in Jersey City again in 2016, a 13-7 CSI win.  In the last six meetings between the two sides, there have been an average of 18.7 runs scored, so it has been an offensive series to say the least. That included a 22-10 NJCU victory back in 2015, a game which saw NJCU score the most amount of runs they ever have in a game against the Dolphins.   After falling to NJCU 10-8 last year, the Dolphins bounced back nicely with a one-sided 12-3 win over the Knights in game two last April.  It was the first time the teams had played a doubleheader since 2008.