Wednesday, April 27, 2011

EIGHT MORAVIAN BASEBALL PLAYERS RANKED IN LATEST NCAA STATISTICS

INDIANAPOLIS, IN --- Eight student-athletes from the Moravian College baseball team are ranked in the sixth NCAA Division III Baseball Statistics Ranking of the 2011 season released this week for games through April 24th, and the Greyhounds are ranked in the top 50 in seven team categories.

Junior pitcher Brendan Close (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) is ranked in six categories including being tied for third in the nation with nine victories.  Close is second in earned run average at 0.55, 13th in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.77, fifth in strikeouts with 85, second in walks allowed per nine innings at 0.55 and eighth in hits allowed per nine innings at 4.85.

Senior outfielder Mike Zubia (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) is tied for 69th in the country in triples with three this season while junior shortstop Dave Zubia (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) is tied for 69th in hit by pitch per game at 0.34 and tied for 70th after being hit by a pitch ten times this spring.

Junior first baseman Kevin O’Keefe (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton HS) is 91st in the country in runs per game at 1.13, tied for 91st in runs with 36 and tied for 90th in doubles with 12 this season.

Senior second baseman Jake Schweitzer (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) is tied for 23rd in sacrifice flies with five in 2011 while senior outfielder Jason Huber (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) is tied for 95th in stolen bases with 16 this year.

Junior pitcher Kyle Longernecker (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) is tied for 12th with seven saves this spring.

Freshman pitcher Jonathan Harasin (Springfield, VA/South County HS) is 13th in earned run average at 1.15, tied for 42nd in victories with six and 54th in walks allowed per nine innings at 1.34.

The Greyhounds are 16th in earned run average at 2.80, and Moravian is tied for 27th in stolen bases with 79, 28th in stolen bases per game at 2.47, 18th in walks allowed per nine innings at 2.65, 21st in hits allowed per nine innings at 8.03, 18th in strikeouts per nine innings at 8.1 and tied for 15th in winning percentage at .781.

Moravian, which is 27-7 overall and 14-1 in Landmark Conference action, is scheduled to return on Thursday, April 28th in a non-conference game versus FDU-Florham at Gillespie Field beginning at 3:30 p.m.