GAME #6, 7 (Doubleheader)
AAU Urban Knights (0-5) vs. #9 Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds (4-0)
Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Fresno Pacific University, FPU Diamond
GAME #8
AAU Urban Knights (0-5) vs. #9 Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds (4-0)
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Fresno Pacific University, FPU Diamond
Game Notes (includes career/season-highs)
AAU AND FRESNO PACIFIC TANGLE IN NEXT THREE:
The Urban Knights travel to Fresno, CA for a three-game series against Fresno Pacific University, the NAIA's ninth-best team, this Friday and Saturday. Academy of Art baseball will be off for 11 days following this weekend's games.
FIRST PITCH:
Academy of Art and Fresno Pacific get their series underway this Friday, Feb. 19 with a doubleheader at FPU Diamond. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM. The third and final game comes up on Saturday, Feb. 20 starting at 11:00 AM. Live stats for all games will be provided here.
KNIGHT SPOTLIGHT:
Sophomore infielder Jared DePatto currently paces the Knights with a .500 batting average, one home run, and six total bases. On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher Darnell Quinney has a team-high 10.1 innings pitched and is tied with freshman left-hander Drew Sullivan-Hames for the most strikeouts on the team (7).
SCOUTING THE SUNBIRDS:
#9 Fresno Pacific University (CA) is undefeated in its four games this year and has not allowed a run scored since an 11-7 victory over Cal State Stanislaus in their season-opener on Feb. 1. The Sunbirds began a nine-game homestand by defeating San Francisco State 11-0 on Feb. 11 and followed with two-more high-scoring wins over Bethany. The Sunbirds will play one more game, a Feb. 18 matchup with British Colombia, before taking on the Urban Knights. Offensively, the team is led by catcher Michael Rivera who sports a .625 batting average in four games with two home runs and seven runs batted in. Amongst regular starters, utility Case Rigby has a .471 batting average and 10 runs batted in. Left-handed starting pitcher Sean Cunningham has won his only start and is 2-0 thus far with six strikeouts over a team-high 10.1 innings pitched.
ACADEMY OF ART CAN'T CATCH EAGLES IN SERIES FINALE:
Competing against Concordia University (CA) of the NAIA, the Urban Knights were bested in both of the weekend's games. AAU fell behind early in the game on Friday after the Eagles scored five runs in the first two innings. However, DePatto connected on a big home run to centerfield in the third inning which put Academy of Art on the board. The Knights were unable to come back when CUI scored seven runs in the third and the Eagles took a 24-1 victory. Concordia struck again early on the second day and finished with a 25-0 victory. DePatto finished the weekend 1-for-2 with the home run for AAU. Quinney matched his career-high with four strikeouts in the first game while sophomore left-hander Zach Mexicano, who provided relief in game two, achieved a new career-high with four strikeouts as well.
LOOKING AHEAD:
An 11-day break comes for Academy of Art at the end of Saturday's action that spans the rest of February. On Mar. 4, the Urban Knights return to the field for a single game against Cal State Monterey Bay of the CCAA. After that contest, AAU plays Dixie State Mar. 5-6 in the Knights' first home series of the season.
