Lions Head to Queens for Offensive Showdown

After opening Ivy League play last weekend with a flourish, the Columbia baseball team takes on local rival St. John's University today in Queens.

The Lions played their first four league games of the season against Penn in back-to-back doubleheaders on March 24 and 25, losing the first game 12-0 before defeating the Quakers in the next three contests behind strong starting pitching.

Columbia (7-10-1, 3-1 Ivy) will now look for victory against a tough nonconference team in St. John's. The Red Storm (8-10, 1-2 Big East) is coming off of its first Big East win against second-ranked UConn. The team is trying to salvage the first half of its schedule after losing its first seven games of the season.

St. John's is led by senior outfielder and designated hitter Anthony Smith, who is a major offensive threat with 18 RBI and 15 runs scored. Perhaps the most dangerous hitter, however, is senior first baseman and former catcher Ryan Mahoney, who leads the team with six home runs and a .547 slugging percentage.

The Lions will look to senior co-captain Andrew Ward to continue to carry the offensive load. Ward leads all starters with a .382 batting average, two home runs, 25 RBI, and a .592 slugging percentage. Also of note is freshman outfielder Jason Banos, who is hitting an impressive .308 with 13 runs scored and was recently named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row.

This will mark the 19th game that Columbia has played away from home. The first two games against Penn as well as today's game were moved to away fields due to poor conditions at Andy Coakley Field. Although the team is scheduled to play at home against Dartmouth on Saturday, it is unclear when the Lions will finally open up home play.

"We're looking forward to getting out on our home field up at Baker," Banos said. "It just recently got renovated, and we're looking forward to getting a few more Ws up there."

As in the Penn series, the contest against St. John's will most likely come down to pitching. Both teams have struggled this season with high team ERAs, and both teams have potent offensive lineups. The Light Blue's success will depend on whether its pitchers can contain the bats of the Red Storm.

First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Jack Kaiser Stadium in Queens, N.Y.