Spartanburg, S.C. – The Le Moyne College baseball team is set to begin a three-game non-conference series at Wofford College.
The Dolphins and the Terriers will play game one Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Wofford’s Russell C. King Field, followed by game two Saturday at 4:00 p.m. They will conclude the series on Sunday, with a 1:00 p.m. contest that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Friday’s contest will mark the first-ever meeting between Le Moyne and Wofford in baseball.
Le Moyne (0-7) also spent last weekend in South Carolina, taking part in the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic. The Dolphins dropped a tightly contested game at Presbyterian College on Friday, as the Blue Hose scored in the bottom of the ninth to claim a 3-2 win.
Freshman shortstop Dominick Russ (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) helped produce both of Le Moyne’s runs during the loss, tallying two hits, an RBI and a run scored, while redshirt-sophomore right-hander AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) tossed 6.1 innings in relief, recording three strikeouts with two runs allowed and was subsequently named an NEC Prime Performer for the first time this season on Monday. Sophomore infielder Ethan Farina (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa/Saint Rose) contributed a base hit, a walk and an RBI during the 3-2 defeat.
Russ scored Le Moyne’s lone run during a 6-1 loss at USC Upstate in Spartanburg on Saturday, then freshman infielder Tim Denet (West Harrison, N.Y./Iona Prep) went 2 for 2 with his second home run of the season during a loss at Presbyterian on Sunday.
Through seven games, Russ leads the ‘Phins with eight hits, while Russ and senior outfielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) have produced a team-high three RBIs each.
Following the series at Wofford, Le Moyne will begin Northeast Conference play next weekend at FDU, starting a three-game series against the Knights on March 7 at 3:00 p.m.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS:
Wofford will enter the series with an 8-1 record, including 7-1 at Russell C. King Field. Wofford’s only loss this season came during a midweek contest against Charlotte, during which the 49ers recorded three runs in the top of the fifth and another in the sixth to erase a two-run deficit and claim a 4-2 win.
The Terriers placed eight players on the Preseason All-Southern Conference Baseball Team. Relief pitcher Kenny Michaels and outfielders David Wiley and Andrew Mannelly were each named to the All-SoCon Preseason First Team, while starting pitcher Dylan Rhadans, relief pitchers Alex Bouchard and Champ Davis, along with catcher Lucas Manning and first baseman Tyler Hare each earned a spot on the second team.
The Terriers put together a memorable campaign in 2024, recording a 12-8 conference record before defeating second-seeded Samford in back-to-back games to claim the program’s second SoCon Tournament title. Wofford competed in the Chapel Hill Regional in the NCAA Tournament, falling to LSU in their first contest by a score of 4-3 before besting NEC Champion LIU, 5-2. Wofford was then eliminated by LSU the next day.
Mannelly was named to the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament team after recording four hits and three RBIs during the three games.
So far this season the Terriers have claimed series sweeps against Ohio and Army, and added mid-week wins against UNC Asheville and Davidson.
Sophomore infielder Harrison Campi is hitting .500 for the Terriers through eight games played, tallying 13 hits, three doubles, one triple, one home run, three stolen bases and 10 RBIs in 26 at bats.
Sophomore infielder Ryan Wynn leads Wofford in runs (12) and RBIs (12) to go along with 12 hits, including two doubles and two home runs.
Junior right-handed relievers Champ Davis and Carter Rasmussen each hold a 2-0 record with 10 and 11 strikeouts, respectively. In his 11.1 innings pitched through four relief appearances, Davis holds a 0.79 ERA with a .97 WHIP and a .195 opponent batting average.
Junior right-handed pitcher Branton Little has tossed a team-high 12.0 innings through two starts, holding a 1-0 record with a .190 opponent batting average a 0.92 WHIP.
