This Week: Notre Dame College will travel down to Florida as a part of their annual spring break trip. The Falcons will play one game each day between Tuesday Mar. 8 and Saturday Mar. 12. NDC will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday against Rollins College, followed by a 4:00 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday against Minnesota State-Mankato. Notre Dame will then play Wayne State on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Seton Hill on Friday at 9:00 a.m., and finally on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. against Grand Valley State.
 
Records: NDC is 3-7 on the young season, while Rollins College is 15-2, Minnesota State is 3-2, Wayne State is 4-4, Seton Hill is 6-1 and Grand Valley State is 3-1.
 
Coaches Corner: Len Barker is in his 11^th season at the helm of the NDC baseball program for the 2022 season. Barker has a career record of 203-250. Jon Sjogren heads the Rollins College baseball program in this 16^th season with a career record of 403-373-3. Matt Magers is in his 14^th season with Minnesota State-Mankato, holding a career record of 508-163. Alex Koch is the head baseball coach of Wayne State in his eighth season with a career record of 148-153. Marc Marizzaldi is in his 18^th season with the Seton Hill program and he holds a career record of 616-317. Lastly, Jamie Detillion is currently in his tenth season with Grand Valley State at a 259-161-2 career record.
 
Rankings: As of the Mar. 2, Seton Hill checks in at No. 11 and Rollins College is seated No. 16 according to the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Poll.
 
Series History: Tuesday will mark the first ever meeting between NDC and RC. Notre Dame is 0-1 all-time against Minnesota State, with their lone meeting taking place in 2018. The Falcons are 1-0 all-time when facing Wayne State College, dating back to their only meeting in 2013. NDC is 2-12 all-time against Seton Hill, dating back to their first meeting in 2005. Lastly, Notre Dame is 0-4 all-time against Grand Valley State since their first meeting in 2012.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame enjoyed their first home series of the 2022 season with a three-game sweep of Lake Erie College. NDC claimed game one 4-3 in extras after Ben Ross ran around the bases for an inside-the-park three-run home run to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Austin Mora pitched a complete game, striking out 11 to grab his first victory of the season. In game two, Nick Farrell walked the Falcons off in extra innings 8-4 after a grand slam over the right field wall. Reliver Alex Dicke jumped into action, pitching 4.2 innings of scoreless, hitless baseball. Dicke earned the win after his six-strikeout performance. The Falcons completed the sweep of the Storm on Saturday 5-4, with Jesse Clark picking up the win and Parker Hray pacing the offense with three hits.
 
All-American Ben Ross highlights Notre Dame's offense with his team leading .400 batting average as he has hit safely in all ten games this season. The redshirt sophomore also paces the Falcons in runs scored (11), doubles (6), triples (tied with 1), home runs (4), extra base hits (11), runs batted in (13), slugging percentage (.900), on base percentage (.444) and OPS (1.344).
 
Parker Hray (6-17), Kyle Espineli (8-26) and Nate Miller (3-10) have all enjoyed batting averages at or above .300 this season. Nick Farrell has provided the pop in the middle of the NDC lineup with three home runs and ten RBIs, both second on the team.
 
On the mound, Falcon ace Austin Mora leads the team with 19.0 innings pitched over his three starts this season. Mora posts a 4.26 ERA (best amongst starters), .182 opponent batting average, 23 strikeouts and ten walks allowed. In the pen, freshman Alex Dicke has emerged as the top arm with his team leading 1.23 ERA and .048 opponent batting average. Dicke has tossed 7.1 innings this season, allowing just one hit and one run to go along with seven punch outs and four walks.
 
As a whole, NDC is slashing .247/.322/.419 (BA/OBP/SLG), with 17 doubles, four triples, ten home runs and 49 runs scored. In terms of pitching, NDC has an ERA of 7.04, opponent batting average of .306, while striking out 71 batters and walking 46.
 
Noting the Tars: Rollins begins this week on a 13-game win streak after defeating five different schools last week. Last Monday, Rollins beat Findlay 5-1, on Tuesday they beat Gannon 10-5, Wednesday and Friday featured two wins over Assumption College (10-1 and 20-3), Saturday they beat Bentley 5-1 and they rounded out their week with a 14-7 win over Stonehill.
 
Joey Rubin leads the team in batting average at .415. Nick Santucci is the power bat for the Tars posting a team leading six home runs and 19 RBIs. Justin Alintoff is the ace of the pitching staff, tossing a team-high 32.0 innings and going a perfect 4-0. Alintoff has been lights out as he has allowed just one runner to cross home plate all season. Alintoff has a team leading 0.28 ERA and .150 opponent batting average to go along with 26 strikeouts and two walks.
 
As a team, Rollins slash line is .317/.399/.491, to go with 39 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, and 121 runs scored. On the bump, the team is pitching well with a 2.65 ERA and .214 opponent batting average. The Tars have sent down 135 batters, while allowing 41 a free pass to first base.
 
Noting the Mavericks: Minnesota State-Mankato played five games last week with wins over Gannon (17-4), Findlay (6-2) and Northwood (5-1). The Mavericks fell to Findlay in a doubleheader (15-5) and to Tiffin (6-3).
 
Mikey Gottschalk (.500) and Ryan Bachman (.400) are the top bats in this Maverick lineup according to batting average. Ben Livorsi is a player to keep an eye on, as he leads the team in home runs (2) and RBIs (6). Brendan Knoll is the Minnesota State ace and in his only appearance this season he pitched a complete game (9.0 innings), allowing just one run and recording the win. Knoll posted eight strikeouts and two walks to go with a .133 opponent batting average.
 
On the season, Minnesota State-Mankato slash line is .297/.382/.430, with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs and 36 runs scored. On the mound, the team shows a 4.39 ERA and .236 opponent batting average, while striking out 46 batters and walking 15.
 
Noting the Wildcats: Last week Wayne State swept William Jewell 10-4 and 14-10 during their doubleheader on Wednesday Mar. 2.
 
Chase Douglas (.455) and Nick Barnett (.450) are the one-two combo for the Wildcats in terms of batting average. Noah Roberts leads the team in RBIs (10), despite only hitting .233 with zero long balls. Alex Logelin is a bat to watch out for as he leads the team in home runs with three. Jackson Shelburne is the top arm for the Wildcats, leading the team in ERA (3.72) and innings pitched. Shelburne is a hybrid who can start or come on in relief for WSC, however he generates more walks than strikeouts at seven to five.
 
Wayne State is slashing .300/.403/.484 on the season with 18 doubles, one triple, ten home runs and 69 runs scored. On the mound, the Wildcats have generated a team ERA of 8.86 and .322 opponent batting average. The pitching staff is susceptible to walks, allowing 49 to their 47 strikeouts this year.
 
Noting the Griffins: Last week Seton Hill went 2-0 with wins over Winona State (3-1) and Ashland (10-1) over the weekend.
 
Drew Garth and Owen Sabol are a dangerous duo, posting the top two marks in batting average, extra base hits, home runs, RBIs, on base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS on the team this season. Nash Bryan has emerged as the Griffins top arm this season, as the reliver has appeared in four contests totaling 5.1 innings pitched. Bryan has yet to allow a run and shows an opponent batting average of .158. Lastly, Bryan is a strikeout pitcher with nine punchouts and one walk.
 
Seton Hill this season is slashing .330/.414/.536, with 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 49 runs scored. Their pitching staff has been sound this season surrendering a 3.38 ERA and .229 opponent batting average, to go with 75 strikeouts and 19 walks.
 
Noting the Lakers: Grand Valley State has played one series this season against the University of Findlay, winning three of the four contests back on Feb. 20-21. GVSU claimed game one and game two by a score of 6-5, before falling in game three 11-2 and winning the series finale 22-3.
 
Grand Valley State features three main bats in their lineup in Spencer Nelson (6-17), Nathan Logan (4-12) and Kyle Nott (4-13). Logan and Christian Faust provide the power for the Lakers with two home runs each and a team-high five and six RBIs, respectively. On the mound, the Lakers feature five relief pitchers who have all thrown at least one inning and have yet to allow an earned run. Collin Bradley heads the GVSU pen with 3.1 innings pitched, a 0.00 ERA, .231 opponent batting average, seven strikeouts and no walks.
 
As a team, the Lakers are slashing .226/.333/.445, with six doubles, three triples, six home runs and 36 runs scored. The pitching staff has an ERA of 4.09 and an opponent batting average of .246. The pitchers surrendered 12 walks but have struck out 51 batters in total.