The College of Staten Island took a big step forward towards the CUNYAC Playoff push yesterday with a doubleheader sweep of John Jay College. The two teams battle in the final game of their season series tonight at 6pm, and if CSI can pull out a victory, they will clinch a spot in the CUNYAC Finals with Baruch College. A loss and they’ll need some help, so it will be a huge showdown today on a night when the Dolphins will honor their five seniors.
CSI vs. JOHN JAY COLLEGE
Matchup: College of Staten Island (15-20, 7-4 CUNYAC) vs. John Jay College (12-26, 3-8 CUNYAC)
Where: CSI Baseball Complex – 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY
Live Stats: https://csidolphins.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Live Video: http://www.csidolphins.com/CSISportsNet
All-Time Series: CSI leads, 83-42
Last Meeting: April 28, 2019 – CSI won 11-2 & 1-0
Players to Watch (CSI): CSI will be honoring their five seniors today and all may have a big hand in this crucial contest. First-year senior Joseph Decelie pitched on Tuesday but may provide spot duty this weekend. He’s made six starts and has a relief appearance this season, going 1-1 overall with a 5.79 ERA. Fifth-year senior Christian Capellan will likely get the start tonight. Capellan is 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA, but has had a solid couple of appearances these last couple of weeks. Sean Becker, Nicholas Meola, and Anthony DiMarco are the other seniors. Becker leads the bunch with a .337 average and a team-best 13 extra-base hits. Meola is at .313, scattering 15 RBI, while DiMarco is hitting .239 with 20 runs plated.
Players to Watch (JJC): Steven Catuongo continues to lead JJC this season, posting a .388 average with a team-best 50 hits, 10 for extra bases, including three triples. Sean Napier, at .349, has a team-best eight doubles with 25 RBI, which also paces the team. Zach Hyde has flashed plenty of power. He is batting .339 with seven doubles, four triples, and four home runs, that’s good for a team-high .551 slugging percentage.
News & Notes: Yesterday’s doubleheader, coupled with a CCNY loss to Lehman College on Saturday, put the CUNYAC Playoff picture further into perspective. Baruch College, at 8-4, have already clinched a spot in the Final and will be the weekend’s No. 1 seed. CSI is currently in second place with a 7-4 record. A win tonight would officially give them second place and an advance to the weekend’s three-game Championship Series. CCNY, at 5-5, is still in the playoff picture. They need a doubleheader sweep of Lehman tonight (their doubleheader starts at 3pm), coupled with a CSI loss. That would render both teams with identical 7-5 records, but because CCNY took the head-to-head series against CSI, 2-1, they would advance. As for the weekend, the two advancing teams will play a best-of-three series. The first game will be played on Friday at 3pm, and the final two games on Saturday would start at 12 Noon. No matter how teams are seeded, all games will be played at CSI. The winner of the CUNYAC Championship Series would then travel to face the winner of the North Atlantic Conference Champion, in another three-game set next weekend, to determine who will move on to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
