MAY 3, 2017
KING'S BASEBALL TEAM LOOKING TO SECURE FREEDOM CONFERENCE PLAYOFF BERTH WHEN MONARCHS FACE EASTERN IN THREE-GAME SET
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College baseball team will have an opportunity to lock up a post-season tournament berth when the Monarchs close out the regular-season with a three-game series with Eastern University. King's will host Eastern in a single game Thursday at 3:00 PM before traveling to St. Davids for a doubleheader Sunday at 1:00 PM.
The first game was originally scheduled for Friday but moved up a day due to the threat of rain.
Follow Thursday's game on LiveStats:
http://sidearmstats.com/kings/baseball/
Follow Sunday's games on Live Video and LiveStats:
Live Video: https://livestream.com/eagle-vision
LiveStats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/eastern/baseball/
King's (18-15) enters the series in third-place in the Freedom Conference with a 11-7 league mark. Manhattanville (17-19) is a game behind in fourth-place at 10-8 while Eastern (13-19) is in fifth-place with a 8-10 ledger. The top-four teams qualify for the Freedom Tournament.
King's needs to win one game to clinch not only a tournament berth, but also the third seed. A single King's victory would mean the Monarchs could finish in no worse than a tied conference record with Manhattanville. King's won the season series against the Valiants 2-1 and thus holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
King's has been paced by the play of sophomore shortstop Christian Pack who sports a .427 (41-96) average with seven doubles and 16 RBI. Senior first-baseman Chris Rebar follows at .404 (42-104) with eight hom runs, seven doubles, three riples, 38 RBI, 40 runs scored and a .760 slugging percentage. Sophomore catcher Shawn Stone has made an impact sine working his way into the starting line-up at catcher, making 17 starts and tallying a .431 )25-58) average with five doubles and 13 RBI.
Sophomore utility-man Dan Hartson is hitting .397 (23-58) with three doubles, a triple, and six RBI while junior designated hitter Kyle Lupas stands at .375 (42-112) with one home run, nine doubles, and 30 RBI. Junior outfielder Bruce Breithaupt has rebounded from a mid-season injury and is batting .318 (28-88) with six doubles and 16 RBI.
Sophomore second-baseman Sean McKee hits .272 (31-114) with six doubles and nine RBI. Junior third-baseman Sean Padden is batting .257 (27-105) with five doubles and 22 RBI while right fielder Tom Gibbons, the team's lone senior starter, hits .238 (25-105) with eight doubles, 18 RBI, and tops the squad with 10 stolen bases
The Monarch pitching staff has been sound as junior Nick Deno is 5-3 with a 352 earned run average with 47 strikeouts in 53 and two-thirds innings. Hartson is 4-2 with a 3.47 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 36 and one-third innings, while freshman Billy Neill is 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 46 and one-third innings.
King's has received pitching from junior John Wickiser as a spot-starter and relief pitcher. Wickiser has made a team-high 13 appearances with four starts, compiling a 5-2 record with a 3.51 ERA and two saves, striking out 29 in 41 innings. Sophomore Chris Lupole has also been strong in relief, sporting a 1-1 record and 2.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 18 innings of work over nine appearances out of the bullpen.
If the Monarchs qualify, the Freedom Conference Tournament will be played at Owls Field in West Lawn from May 12-14.
