CU Baseball Preview - vs. Bard (4/23)

By: April 22, 2019

Connor Koehler

Men's Baseball | 4/22/2019 7:59:00 AM

After getting washed out this weekend, the Clarkson University Baseball team will play a doubleheader against Bard College on Tuesday afternoon at Jack Phillips Stadium.

Live Stats/Live Video

The Series: Clarkson has never lost to Bard in 12 all-time meetings since the Raptors joined the conference. The Golden Knights swept four-game sets in 2014, 2016 and 2017, but five of those 12 games were settled by just a single run.

Key Stats for Clarkson (14-11, 9-3 Liberty League): Senior Brad Pearson has raked all season long, putting together a .407/.469/.686 slash line across 25 games, but he has been particularly potent at the plate in conference games. In 12 Liberty League contests thus far, Pearson is hitting .467/.556/.889 with 19 runs scored, 12 extra base hits, and 14 runs batted in, counting numbers that would be solid for a complete slate of conference games. Senior righty Ryan Riley leads the Clarkson staff with a 2.89 earned run average, 39 strikeouts and five victories, and he, too, has been even better in league contests. In three conference starts and one relief appearance, Riley has a 4-0 mark with a 1.93 earned run average. Classmate Mike Bubniak also has posted a 3.12 earned run average in eight appearances with 27 strikeouts against just seven walks, and junior Nate Burns is the team's top bullpen arm, posting a 1.11 earned run average with 22 whiffs in 24.1 innings of work.

Key Stats for Bard (12-17, 6-10 Liberty League): Though Bard has lost five straight, four of those games were against defending league champion Union, which won two of the contests by just a single run. The Raptors have a trio of solid arms in Alex Bunnell, Evan Matthews and Evan Richardson. Bunnell is the team's relief ace, striking out 28 in 28.1 innings of work in 14 appearances to go along with a 4-0 record and a 1.91 earned run average. Matthews has dodged some wildness to post a 4.15 earned run average in 34.2 innings of work with 30 strikeouts, though he has walked 21 and also unleashed 13 wild pitches. Richardson leads the league in strikeouts (48) in 44.1 innings of work and owns a 4.26 earned run average, but he sometimes can struggle with wildness as well, having walked 26 batters. Offensively, Esteban Rivera is leading the team in hitting at .311/.447/.514, with his on-base percentage bolstered by 14 walks and five hit by pitches.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Mike Bubniak: LHP; 5' 11"; Senior; L/L

#1 Nate Burns: OF/RHP; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#25 Brad Pearson: C; 5' 11"; Senior; L/R

#34 Ryan Riley: RHP; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#18 Mike Bubniak
: 5' 11"; Senior; L/L
: LHP

#1 Nate Burns
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: OF/RHP

#25 Brad Pearson
: 5' 11"; Senior; L/R
: C

#34 Ryan Riley
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: RHP