Temple University Athletics
Thursday, May 17
Ambler, Pa.
2:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
Rhode Island
Baseball Closes Out Season At Home With Rhode Island; Will Honor Seniors On Saturday
5.16.12 | Baseball
Live Stats | Twitter Updates | Weather
AMBLER – The final weekend of the season is here and the Temple Owls will put a cap on their 2012 campaign with a three-game set with the Rhode Island Rams at Skip Wilson Field Thursday through Saturday. In addition to closing the door on the season, the Owls will bid farewell to its six senior players: Foster Dunigan, Taylor Juran, Jabair Khan, Steve Nikorak, Brant Norlander and Brian Sustersic before Saturday's Noon time first pitch during a special Senior Day ceremony. The live video streams for the weekend have been cancelled, but Live Stats and Twitter updates will be provided for all three games.
With a rained out game on Tuesday, the Owls will return to the diamond for the first time since last Saturday when they suffered a heart-breaking loss in the 11th inning at St. Bonaventure, while the Rams are coming off of a rain-shortened 2-2 tie with Connecticut on Tuesday.
Despite the 1-2 weekend at St. Bonaventure, redshirt junior Matt Elko somehow was the diamond that shined in the rough, as he batted 8-for-12, having multiple hits in all three games of the series and eight RBI's, helping himself to being named Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Week.
Temple (19-31, 7-14) comes in looking to win its fourth Atlantic 10 Conference game in its last five at Skip Wilson Field. Last time at home, the Owls took two of three from the Dayton Flyers.
Rhode Island (29-23-1) is currently in third place in the A-10 and will be looking to punch its ticket into next weekend's conference tournament up at Fordham.
Getting the series started Thursday afternoon a 2:00 p.m., head coach Ryan Wheeler maintains his starting rotation for the final weekend, as he is going with redshirt junior left-hander Dan Moller (1-6, 8.08 ERA) to oppose URI's Anthony Pisani, who owns a microscopic ERA of 1.09 through six appearances. Moller will be making his first start at home since throwing a three-hit complete game win.
On Friday, right-handed sophomore Matt Hockenberry (5-3, 5.22 ERA) will look to add one more win to his staff leading five victories when he goes up against Rams' righty Sean Furney, who is the ace of the staff—having a 4-1 record and an ERA of 3.03.
In the series rubber match, freshman southpaw Patrick Peterson (3-3, 3.14) will close the book on a very solid rookie season, as he'll be the first to toe the rubber in the Owls' season finale. Peterson will be go up against Chris Pickering—a left-hander, who is sporting a record of 6-7 with an ERA of 6.45.
The Rams are currently ranked as the No. 1 team in the New England Baseball Coaches Poll.
Leading the way for the Rams has been Jeff Roy, who is batting a sensational .360 on the year, having 76 hits through 53 games.
URI has also gotten significant production from Jeff Cammans, Pat Quinn and Tim Caputo.
Cammans has driven in 51 runs and is batting an impressive .314 with 69 hits, including 21 doubles. Quinn and Caputo are also batting above .300 for the Rams.
Backing the bullpen for the Rams, Mike Bradstreet has been very reliable, as he has nailed down 10 saves.
Even though their postseason hopes squelched, the Owls have several other accomplishments to battle for.
A win in the series doubles the team's A-10 win total from a season ago and a sweep of the Rams would be the first double-digit win total in conference play since 2010.
Redshirt senior Steve Nikorak enters the series with 223 career hits, which has him alone in sixth place for most all-time in a Temple uniform. Nikorak already broke the school's doubles record this season when he clubbed the first of three two-baggers against Central Connecticut State back on March 9. At the moment, the Owls' third baseman has 64 career doubles, which is 10 more than the former record holder Tom Whalen (1993-96). Nikorak will match Whalen for seventh all-time in games started with 182, provided that he begins all three games against URI this weekend.
Should redshirt junior Steve Visnic get the call out of the bullpen two more times this season, he will tie Peter Moore (1996-99) for the most relief appearances by an Owls' pitcher with 84. Senior Brian Sustersic also has Moore in his sights, but at this stage he'll be unable to catch him for the program's saves record. Sustersic has converted six saves on the year, putting him in a tie in seventh place for most all time at Temple.
Entering the weekend with 51 hits, freshman short stop Nick Lustrino is the first Temple player to bust out 50 or more hits in a rookie season since the program's all-time hits leader Byron McKoy had 64 during his freshman year. Batting .290 on the year through 47 games and 176 at-bats, Lustrino has a chance at becoming the first freshman at Temple to lead the team in hitting since 1982 rookie catcher John Marzano batted .393 through 35 games and 145 at-bats. At the moment, senior Foster Dunigan has risen to the top with a .312 batting average after having 49 of his 64 career hits this season.
The Owls hold a strong grip on the all-time series with the Rams, having a 53-38-0 record in the head-to-head matchup. URI has won the last seven contests, dating back to the meeting in the second round of the A-10 Tournament back in 2008. Temple's last victory over Rhode Island came earlier in 2008 when the Owls swept the three-game series at Skip Wilson Field.
The Senior Class
Brian Sustersic: After playing as a freshman at Daytona State, he made 15 relief appearances in his first season with the Owls in 2010. During that same season, he struck out 16 batters in 17.2 innings of work, including a season-high four K's against UNLV. After suffering a season-ending injury a year ago, he returned this year and was a force at the backend of the Owls' bullpen. At Penn and at home against Richmond he was the winning pitcher and converted six saves, which currently has him tied for seventh all-time for saves in a career at Temple.
Foster Dunigan: As a freshman, he appeared in 16 games, making eight starts and batted a team-best .391. During the next season, he saw an increase of playing time—seeing action in 27 games, where he scored seven runs. As a junior, he made stints at second base, third base and at short stop. Already this season, he has appeared in 48 games, making 45 starts. In the Owls' blowout win against NYIT, he reached base a season-high four times, including three walks. In a come-from-behind win at Penn this season, this senior knocked in three runs and went 2-for-4 on the day and also had three hits and three RBIs in Temple's 8-6 win at St. Bonaventure last weekend.
Taylor Juran: As a freshman, he made 17 appearances and finished with a perfect fielding percentage, as he did not commit a single error. During his sophomore season, he pounded out 43 hits and knocked in 20 runs. That same season, he batted .324 in A-10 play. Last year, he played 39 games, making 24 starts as the designated hitter. Batting .319, he had 29 hits on the year, including a career-high four hits against Penn. Earlier this year, he opened the season with an 11-game hitting streak. Seeing action in all but one game, he currently ranks second on the team with 54 hits.
Jabair Khan: As a rookie for the Owls, he made 20 starts and was called off the bench 15 times, in which he sliced 19 base hits and knocked in 11 runs, while scoring 12 himself. Since 2010—his sophomore season—he is the only Temple player to start in every single ballgame up to this moment. As a sophomore, he recorded 51 hits in 51 games. He drove in 21 runs while scoring a team-best 39 runs and leading the team with 120 putouts. A season ago, he clubbed 57 hits in 53 contests and led the team with six sacrifice bunts. On the opening day of the season at North Carolina Central, he had a career-high four hits through five plate appearances. As a senior, he smashed a home run in wins against Richmond and Dayton and reached base in 13 consecutive ballgames, compliments of a 10-game hitting streak over that span.
Steve Nikorak: During his freshman season, he saw significant playing time, making 30 starts between first and third base and eight starts on the mound. As a versatile player, he picked up his first career win at George Mason on April 16, 2008. Later on in his rookie campaign, he was garnered with A-10 Rookie of the Week recognition after throwing six scoreless innings of two-hit baseball at Saint Louis. His next season would be cut short. After making the start on the mound in the Owls' opening day, he was not to be seen again due to a need to have Tommy John Surgery. Overcoming the adversity, he returned in 2010 and had a strong season for the Owls, starting 46 games. During that span, he won three games on the mound and finished third in hitting. Last season was his breakout year, as he started all 53 games, led the A-10 with 58 RBIs and 23 doubles, while placing third on the team with 79 hits. That same season he drilled a team-most 11 home runs and led the pitching staff with four wins. In his senior year, he opened the season by reaching base in each of the first 30 games. Against Central Connecticut State on March 9, he had four extra base hits (3 doubles and a triple) including the two-bagger that moved him into first place on the Owls' all-time list for career doubles with his 55th. On the year thus far, he ranks first on the team in hits, having 54, including six home runs.
AMBLER – The final weekend of the season is here and the Temple Owls will put a cap on their 2012 campaign with a three-game set with the Rhode Island Rams at Skip Wilson Field Thursday through Saturday. In addition to closing the door on the season, the Owls will bid farewell to its six senior players: Foster Dunigan, Taylor Juran, Jabair Khan, Steve Nikorak, Brant Norlander and Brian Sustersic before Saturday's Noon time first pitch during a special Senior Day ceremony. The live video streams for the weekend have been cancelled, but Live Stats and Twitter updates will be provided for all three games.
With a rained out game on Tuesday, the Owls will return to the diamond for the first time since last Saturday when they suffered a heart-breaking loss in the 11th inning at St. Bonaventure, while the Rams are coming off of a rain-shortened 2-2 tie with Connecticut on Tuesday.
Despite the 1-2 weekend at St. Bonaventure, redshirt junior Matt Elko somehow was the diamond that shined in the rough, as he batted 8-for-12, having multiple hits in all three games of the series and eight RBI's, helping himself to being named Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Week.
Temple (19-31, 7-14) comes in looking to win its fourth Atlantic 10 Conference game in its last five at Skip Wilson Field. Last time at home, the Owls took two of three from the Dayton Flyers.
Rhode Island (29-23-1) is currently in third place in the A-10 and will be looking to punch its ticket into next weekend's conference tournament up at Fordham.
Getting the series started Thursday afternoon a 2:00 p.m., head coach Ryan Wheeler maintains his starting rotation for the final weekend, as he is going with redshirt junior left-hander Dan Moller (1-6, 8.08 ERA) to oppose URI's Anthony Pisani, who owns a microscopic ERA of 1.09 through six appearances. Moller will be making his first start at home since throwing a three-hit complete game win.
On Friday, right-handed sophomore Matt Hockenberry (5-3, 5.22 ERA) will look to add one more win to his staff leading five victories when he goes up against Rams' righty Sean Furney, who is the ace of the staff—having a 4-1 record and an ERA of 3.03.
In the series rubber match, freshman southpaw Patrick Peterson (3-3, 3.14) will close the book on a very solid rookie season, as he'll be the first to toe the rubber in the Owls' season finale. Peterson will be go up against Chris Pickering—a left-hander, who is sporting a record of 6-7 with an ERA of 6.45.
The Rams are currently ranked as the No. 1 team in the New England Baseball Coaches Poll.
Leading the way for the Rams has been Jeff Roy, who is batting a sensational .360 on the year, having 76 hits through 53 games.
URI has also gotten significant production from Jeff Cammans, Pat Quinn and Tim Caputo.
Cammans has driven in 51 runs and is batting an impressive .314 with 69 hits, including 21 doubles. Quinn and Caputo are also batting above .300 for the Rams.
Backing the bullpen for the Rams, Mike Bradstreet has been very reliable, as he has nailed down 10 saves.
Even though their postseason hopes squelched, the Owls have several other accomplishments to battle for.
A win in the series doubles the team's A-10 win total from a season ago and a sweep of the Rams would be the first double-digit win total in conference play since 2010.
Redshirt senior Steve Nikorak enters the series with 223 career hits, which has him alone in sixth place for most all-time in a Temple uniform. Nikorak already broke the school's doubles record this season when he clubbed the first of three two-baggers against Central Connecticut State back on March 9. At the moment, the Owls' third baseman has 64 career doubles, which is 10 more than the former record holder Tom Whalen (1993-96). Nikorak will match Whalen for seventh all-time in games started with 182, provided that he begins all three games against URI this weekend.
Should redshirt junior Steve Visnic get the call out of the bullpen two more times this season, he will tie Peter Moore (1996-99) for the most relief appearances by an Owls' pitcher with 84. Senior Brian Sustersic also has Moore in his sights, but at this stage he'll be unable to catch him for the program's saves record. Sustersic has converted six saves on the year, putting him in a tie in seventh place for most all time at Temple.
Entering the weekend with 51 hits, freshman short stop Nick Lustrino is the first Temple player to bust out 50 or more hits in a rookie season since the program's all-time hits leader Byron McKoy had 64 during his freshman year. Batting .290 on the year through 47 games and 176 at-bats, Lustrino has a chance at becoming the first freshman at Temple to lead the team in hitting since 1982 rookie catcher John Marzano batted .393 through 35 games and 145 at-bats. At the moment, senior Foster Dunigan has risen to the top with a .312 batting average after having 49 of his 64 career hits this season.
The Owls hold a strong grip on the all-time series with the Rams, having a 53-38-0 record in the head-to-head matchup. URI has won the last seven contests, dating back to the meeting in the second round of the A-10 Tournament back in 2008. Temple's last victory over Rhode Island came earlier in 2008 when the Owls swept the three-game series at Skip Wilson Field.
The Senior Class
Brant Norlander: In his first season with the Owls a year ago, he made 14 starts on the mound, in which he struck out 61 batters in 69.2 innings of work. That same season, he won three straight starts and rung up eight batters against NYIT. Earlier this season, he made two starts and has made 13 appearances out of the bullpen. Through 27.0 innings of work, he notched wins at La Salle and at Monmouth. In a long relief appearance at Fordham, he had his best performance in Temple Cherry & White as he fanned away a career-high nine batters in just 5.0 innings of work.
Brian Sustersic: After playing as a freshman at Daytona State, he made 15 relief appearances in his first season with the Owls in 2010. During that same season, he struck out 16 batters in 17.2 innings of work, including a season-high four K's against UNLV. After suffering a season-ending injury a year ago, he returned this year and was a force at the backend of the Owls' bullpen. At Penn and at home against Richmond he was the winning pitcher and converted six saves, which currently has him tied for seventh all-time for saves in a career at Temple.
Foster Dunigan: As a freshman, he appeared in 16 games, making eight starts and batted a team-best .391. During the next season, he saw an increase of playing time—seeing action in 27 games, where he scored seven runs. As a junior, he made stints at second base, third base and at short stop. Already this season, he has appeared in 48 games, making 45 starts. In the Owls' blowout win against NYIT, he reached base a season-high four times, including three walks. In a come-from-behind win at Penn this season, this senior knocked in three runs and went 2-for-4 on the day and also had three hits and three RBIs in Temple's 8-6 win at St. Bonaventure last weekend.
Jabair Khan: As a rookie for the Owls, he made 20 starts and was called off the bench 15 times, in which he sliced 19 base hits and knocked in 11 runs, while scoring 12 himself. Since 2010—his sophomore season—he is the only Temple player to start in every single ballgame up to this moment. As a sophomore, he recorded 51 hits in 51 games. He drove in 21 runs while scoring a team-best 39 runs and leading the team with 120 putouts. A season ago, he clubbed 57 hits in 53 contests and led the team with six sacrifice bunts. On the opening day of the season at North Carolina Central, he had a career-high four hits through five plate appearances. As a senior, he smashed a home run in wins against Richmond and Dayton and reached base in 13 consecutive ballgames, compliments of a 10-game hitting streak over that span.
Steve Nikorak: During his freshman season, he saw significant playing time, making 30 starts between first and third base and eight starts on the mound. As a versatile player, he picked up his first career win at George Mason on April 16, 2008. Later on in his rookie campaign, he was garnered with A-10 Rookie of the Week recognition after throwing six scoreless innings of two-hit baseball at Saint Louis. His next season would be cut short. After making the start on the mound in the Owls' opening day, he was not to be seen again due to a need to have Tommy John Surgery. Overcoming the adversity, he returned in 2010 and had a strong season for the Owls, starting 46 games. During that span, he won three games on the mound and finished third in hitting. Last season was his breakout year, as he started all 53 games, led the A-10 with 58 RBIs and 23 doubles, while placing third on the team with 79 hits. That same season he drilled a team-most 11 home runs and led the pitching staff with four wins. In his senior year, he opened the season by reaching base in each of the first 30 games. Against Central Connecticut State on March 9, he had four extra base hits (3 doubles and a triple) including the two-bagger that moved him into first place on the Owls' all-time list for career doubles with his 55th. On the year thus far, he ranks first on the team in hits, having 54, including six home runs.
Ep. 7: Temple Field Hockey Alumna Cherifa Howarth
Friday, September 26
Ep. 6: Temple Athletics Weekly Recap; Field Hockey's Peyton Rieger
Tuesday, September 23
Temple Men's Basketball | Mic'd Up at Temple Women's Volleyball Game
Friday, September 19
Ep. 5: Head Men's Golf Coach Brian Quinn
Friday, September 19
