After a thrilling victory on Saturday, Towson got a brilliant performance by senior Michael Adams on Sunday, delivering a 1-0 victory with a complete game shutout over Hofstra. It was the Tigers’ first series win this season and they are now 3-3 in conference play.
After playing 13 games at home during the month of March (which would have been 16, including every weekend series, if the previous weekend’s games against Delaware hadn’t been moved due to weather), Towson will become road warriors during April. For the remainder of this month they will 13 out of 18 games on the road, with the only games at Schuerholz Park coming during the week.
Nice jacket.
Towson’s opponents for the month of April have a combined record of 104-153-1 and they only play three teams with winning records, tomorrow’s home game versus Virginia Commonwealth and conference series against University of North Carolina-Wilmington and Northeastern. There are plenty of winnable games if the Tigers can play keep playing good baseball.
Positive Pixels
- I sold Colin Gimblet a game short the other day. After getting a hit in the series finale against Hofstra, the senior has now reached base in 14 straight games. He has only struck out eight times during this streak, never more than once in a game. In conference play Gimblet is slashing .364/.417/.455. The right-fielder also threw out his fourth base runner this season on Friday.
- Catcher Trey Martinez threw out Hofstra players four times this series. On the season he’s thrown out over 31% of would-be base stealers. Martinez has also picked it up with the bat since conference play began, with a .353/.421/.471 line against CAA opponents.
- Towson stole four bases over the weekend and were only caught once. The Tigers are 24 for 29 on stolen base attempts this season.
The Watch List
Richie Palacios, SS – .333↓/.470↓/.548↓, 93 AB, 8 2B, 27 R, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 12-12 SB. It wasn’t a huge weekend for the shortstop, but when you win a game on a walk-off grand slam it’s pretty hard to feel badly about things. Palacios stole three bases against Hofstra and did not commit an error.
Andrew Cassard, OF – .270↑/.365↑/.284↑, 74 AB, 1 2B, 13 R, 6 RBI. I said I would be watching playing time and strikeouts for Cassard this weekend and it was positive on both counts. The sophomore played all three games, starting the last two, and only struck out once in nine at-bats.
Dirk Masters, 2B – .250↓/.375↓/.267↓, 60 AB, 1 2B, 6 R, 3 RBI, 2-2 SB. It was a quiet weekend for Masters at the plate, with only two hits and a walk. Uncharacteristically, he struck out four times, but, considering how strong Hofstra’s pitching staff is, these things will happen. He was perfect in the field.
Bo Plagge, P – 1-1, 7.98 ERA↑, 14.2 innings, 14 K, 13 BB. Plagge pitched the top of the ninth on Saturday and got credit for the win. It was the sophomore’s first scoreless appearance since his first of the season.
David Marriggi, P – 1-3, 3.89 ERA↑, 39.1 IP, 23 BB, 39 K. The left-handed senior continued his strong 2018 season, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs. It was the third straight start he has pitched into the seventh.
Michael Adams, P – 2-2, 4.40 ERA↑, 43.0 IP, 16 BB, 49 K. Michael Adams returns to the list! Since his first two starts of the season, the senior has numbers as good as anyone in college baseball: 5 starts, 35 IP, 1.80 ERA, -1.29 FIP, .971 WHIP, 5.125 K/BB, 10.54 K/9. That’s not a typo, his FIP is NEGATIVE by over a run. It was Adams second consecutive win, with 10 strikeouts in each of those games. If he keeps this up you could definitely find him pitching professionally next year. He has size, durability, and experience pitching in well-regarded summer leagues. As a senior signing by a team looking to save a little money in their draft pool, I would imagine you could do far worse.
Up Next
Towson plays a home game versus VCU tomorrow at 3 P.M.
