ST. BONAVENTURE (3-7) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (6-6)
Friday – Sunday, March 8-10
Murfreesboro, Tenn.

FIRST PITCH
The St. Bonaventure baseball team travels to take on Middle Tennessee this weekend with a four-game series scheduled vs. the Blue Raiders. The Bonnies are seeking their first series win after being nine outs away in the series rubber match at The Citadel on opening weekend before taking Presbyterian to 13 innings in another series rubber game last weekend.

SERIES INFO
Friday, 11:00 a.m. CT/Noon ET – Bonnies probable starter: RHP Chance Moore
Saturday, 1:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. ET – Bonnies Game 1 probable starter: RHP Michael Salina
Saturday, Game 2 – Bonnies probable starter: RHP Noah Czajkowski
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. ET – Bonnies probable starter: LHP Kade Walker

All four games are scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN+. A radio feed is also available at GoBlueRaiders.com. For live coverage links to all games, check out our schedule page.

Friday's game has been pushed forward to a noon ET start due to rain in the forecast. Stay tuned to @BonniesBaseball on X for game and schedule updates.
 

BONAVENTURE BASEBALL RUNDOWN PODCAST
Get an inside look at Bonnies baseball each week through the Bonaventure Baseball Rundown Podcast with head coach Jason Rathbun. Preview this weekend's series by clicking here.
 

BIG WINS

• St. Bonaventure has already scored a pair of notable wins in the early going:
• Bona won at Louisville, 4-3, on Feb. 23 for the program's first win over a Power 5 program since 2019. Chance Moore was outstanding, throwing seven shutout innings after Louisville got three in the first, as he did not walk a batter and struck out four in his first career Division I start. Adam Rankie delivered the game-winning double in the eighth as the game went to extra innings as the first of a twinbill that day.
• The first win of the year came on Feb. 17 when the Bonnies exploded for 22 runs at The Citadel. That marked the biggest offensive performance for the team since 2014.

NOTABLES

• SBU suffered a 5-4 heartbreaker in the series finale at Presbyterian last time out as the Blue Hose outlasted the Bonnies in 13 innings. It was the longest Bonnies game since another 5-4 setback at North Carolina A&T in 13 frames on March 16, 2018.
• Noah Czajkowski struck out a career-high six in 3.2 innings at Presbyterian last time out while Tristan Ciampa (4.1 innings, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K) and Kade Walker (4.0 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K) each had their longest outings of the young season last Saturday at Presbyterian.
• Michael Salina was nearly untouchable in his last start as he twirled a complete game shutout in game one of a doubleheader at Presbyterian (7.0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K). His seven strikeouts represent a new career high and he surrendered just two singles in the game. No Presbyterian runner got past first base in the win. It was the first complete game shutout of any kind by a Bonnies pitcher since 2021.
• Bona has a .972 team fielding percentage with only 10 errors in 10 games thus far. That total ranks third in the Atlantic 10 behind only George Washington and Saint Louis.
• Five qualifying members of the Bonnies lineup own on-base percentages over .400 so far: Morgan Little (.484), Jack Putney (.465), Robert Mannino (.450), David Marshall Jr. (.435) and Paul Vossen (.421).
• Mannino is 4-for-5 hitting with runners in scoring position so far this year. Little is hitting .364 w/ RISP (4-for-11) and Marshall checks in at .400 (6-for-15). Marshall has also delivered seven RBIs hitting with two outs. 

ANALYTICALLY SPEAKING
Eleven Bonnies players have hit over 100 mph exit velocities in games so far this spring. Harrison Kaufman led the way along with Chris Hoalcraft, each hitting 105.1 mph last weekend at Presbyterian. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
St. Bonaventure will log the miles early on this spring. The Bonnies are slated to play their first 22 games on the road and 25 of their first 26 contests away from home. 

This weekend, the Bonnies made the 744-mile trip to MTSU. That follows an 844-mile trip to The Citadel to begin the year, a 669-mile trek to Louisville and a 735-mile jaunt to Presbyterian last weekend. After this weekend, the Bonnies begin creeping closer to home with a mid-week contest at Binghamton followed by a three-game series at Mount St. Mary's in Maryland and another mid-week battle at Penn State. Bona's home opener is scheduled for March 26 vs. LeMoyne. 

SERIES HISTORY
The Bonnies and Blue Raiders had never met on the baseball diamond prior to last year when SBU opened its 2023 season in Murfreesboro. The Blue Raiders claimed a four-game sweep, taking scores of 16-3, 6-2, 17-1 and 6-3.

Adam Rankie collected five hits in the series, including a 4-for-4 day in the opener at MTSU last year. Jack Putney registered four hits in the series and Jayce Tharnish also had a 2-for-4 day.

Gabe Watts struck out five in five innings, allowing three runs in a start while Ryan O'Connell fanned five in two innings of a relief appearance. Saturday projected starter Noah Czajkowski made his first career collegiate start at MTSU as well.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE

• MTSU is 6-6 with series wins over Bowling Green and Miami (OH).
• The Blue Raiders were picked sixth in the Conference USA preseason poll. Last year, MTSU won 27 games and went 14-16 in conference play.
• Seniors Gabe Jennings and Briggs Rutter have spearheaded the Blue Raider offense this season. Both are batting .426 while Rutter has a team-high OPS of 1.169 in 47 plate appearances.
• As a team, MTSU is batting .317, good for second-best in the CUSA.
• Through 12 games the Blue Raiders pitching staff has posted a 6.69 ERA, giving up a league-high 21 home runs.
• In their last outing, MTSU beat SEMO 8-2 with starting pitcher Bryant Beranek (1-2) going four innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs. Patrick Johnson was credited with the save, pitching five scoreless innings.
• The Blue Raiders coaching staff includes assistant coach Kevin Nichols, who coached Bonnies head coach Jason Rathbun while serving as head coach at Erskine College where Rathbun played from 2002-03.

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