Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the Columbia baseball team this season. Less than a year removed from the Ivy League title, head coach Brett Boretti’s squad finds itself in third place in the Gehrig Division, two games behind co-leaders Princeton and Cornell. This afternoon, the Lions (10-27, 6-10 Ivy) will have a chance to step outside the conference for a midweek doubleheader against Manhattan.
Although the outcome of today’s twin bill does not affect the Ivy standings, Columbia could use the confidence-booster heading into the final weekend of regular-season play. In order to stay alive, the Light Blue will have to sweep Penn in four games this weekend and hope that Princeton and Cornell split their four-game set. If such an outcome is realized, there will be a three-way tie atop the division, and tiebreakers would be played to determine which team faces the Rolfe Division winner in the championship series.
For now, though, the Lions have to contend with a Manhattan squad that is unbeaten in its last five and has won 13 of its last 14. The Jaspers (24-10) are coming off a dramatic ninth-inning come-from-behind walkoff win over Fairfield to wrap up a three-game sweep over the Master’s. Down 7-4 in the bottom of the final frame, Manhattan used a combination of base hits, walks (both intentional and otherwise), and fielding errors to climb back into contention and eventually win the game 8-7 when designated hitter junior Anthony Armenio blooped one to shallow right with the score tied and the bases loaded.
Manhattan, which holds a first-place 11-1 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, has been beating up on conference and non-league foes alike of late. Recent Jasper victims include Fairfield, Fairleigh Dickinson, Sacred Heart, Army, Long Island, and Marist. Manhattan has not lost since Apr. 10, when it suffered a 7-6 defeat at the hands of Vermont.
Sophomore outfielder Mike McCann is the feared Jasper when it comes to offensive impact. McCann carries a .437 batting average into today’s doubleheader and has racked up nine homers and 42 RBI in 34 games this season. Also formidable is junior outfielder Kevin Nieto, who is hitting .401-11-43. As a team, Manhattan holds a blistering .356 average with 42 total home runs.
The Jasper pitching staff has also turned in a good performance this season, led by freshman right-hander Mike Giordano, who is 6-1 with a 3.82 ERA. Junior Mike Gazzola has also been effective, throwing two complete games and eating up 55-plus innings while holding opponents to a .240 batting average.
Columbia counters with a team average of just .265 over 37 games this season. Sophomore Bobby O’Brien continues to hit well, pushing his average to .342 with two round-trippers and 19 RBI. Junior Dean Forthun is hitting .300 with 10 doubles and a homer so far.
On the mound, Boretti has used freshmen Pat Lowery and Harrison Slutsky frequently in midweek matchups this year. Both are pitching well of late, and Lowery now leads the staff with an ERA of 3.74. Many pitchers figure to see short stints this afternoon in the interest of keeping arms fresh for the crucial weekend series with Penn.
Today’s action, slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. at Robertson Field, isn’t do-or-die for the Lions. However, success this afternoon could be just what the Light Blue need to keep its bats hot and arms fresh for this weekend’s series against Penn.
