Live Stats (same link for all games) | Live Video | Tournament Guide

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team opens its 2014 home schedule this weekend, hosting the Spartan Baseball Classic from Friday through Sunday at Marty L. Miller Field.

The three-day event also includes Villanova, Buffalo and Quinnipiac. In the round-robin format, each team will play the other three squads once each. NSU opens the weekend by facing Buffalo at 10 a.m. Friday. There will be three games Saturday (10 a.m., 2 and 6 p.m.) and two Sunday (10 a.m., 2 p.m.). Admission is free.

Live statistics and a live video feed will be available for every game, though the video feed requires users to register. The cost is $5 per game.

NSU and Villanova (also 0-3) are the only teams of this weekend's quartet that has played a game so far in 2014.

Schedule
Friday, Feb. 21
NSU vs. Buffalo, 10 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22
Buffalo vs. Villanova, 10 a.m.
Villanova vs. Quinnipiac, 2 p.m.
Quinnipiac vs. NSU, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 23
Quinnipiac vs. Buffalo, 10 a.m.
NSU vs. Villanova, 2 p.m.

About the Spartans
The Spartans enter the weekend 0-3 after dropping three games at the Furman First Pitch Invitational last weekend in Greenville, S.C. NSU lost 5-2 to host Furman, 6-5 in 13 innings to Xavier, and 11-3 to Toledo.

NSU had three hitters finish at .300 or better over the weekend, with junior college transfer catcher Omar Hotusing (3-for-8, .375) leading the way. Sophomore Kyle Vaas had a team-high four hits in 12 at-bats (.333) and senior Zach Markel was 3-for-10 (.300). Senior Tyon Ore hit the team's first home run of the season, a solo shot against Furman.
Spartan starters Justin Bhatti, Matt Outman and Corey Haynes allowed a combined 13 runs (12 earned) in 13 innings, but the team got some solid relief pitching from junior Jeff Di Fulgo (4.1 IP, 0 R) and freshman Devin Hemmerich (4.0 IP, 0 R). Hemmerich was named MEAC Rookie of the Week for his efforts.

About the Bobcats
Quinnipiac will open its 2014 season this weekend at the Spartan Classic. The Bobcats were picked to finish 11th in the preseason Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference poll. Quinnipiac finished 2013 with a record of 17-36 overall, including a 12-20 mark in Northeast Conference play. The Bobcats returns their top two hitters in juniors Vincent Guglietti and Scott Donaghue. Guglietti led the Bobcats in batting average (284), hits (57), and doubles (17) and also hit two homers, scored 23 runs, and had 25 RBI. Donaghue hit .283 (53-187) with a team-high four home runs, 11 doubles, 19 runs scored, and a team leading 36 RBI last year.

Gary Binkiewicz was named the Bobcats' captain in the fall. The second-year Bobcat led the Quinnipiac pitching staff in 2013 in appearances (19) and saves (six) while posting a 2.73 earned-run average. Sophomore Justin Thomas was 4-1 with a 4.50 ERA as a freshman while senior Nick Fabrizio was 4-7 with a 5.17 ERA, striking out 43 in 69.2 innings pitched.

About the Bulls
Buffalo was predicted to finish third in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division behind Kent State and Bowling Green. The Bulls set a program record with 33 wins last year, which included a 19-7 conference mark. Buffalo returns all three of its weekend starting pitchers from last year, the core of a pitching staff which registered a 3.72 ERA. Two-way player Mike Burke (8-2, 2.66 ERA), Anthony Magovney (7-4, 4.26) and Mike McGee (5-4, 4.29) will bolster the starting staff, while Ben Hartz (6-1, 2.01) and Dan Ginader (0-0, 2.08) are top returning relievers for UB.

Offensively, the Bulls lost Jason Kanzler and his team-high 12 home runs from last year, but do return key offensive threats in outfielder Jimmy Topps (.314, 11 SB) and infielder Tyler Mautner (.295, 35 RBI).

About the Wildcats
Villanova joins NSU as the only teams at the tournament this weekend that have played any games so far in 2014. Villanova was swept in a three-game series at Charleston Southern last weekend, losing games by scores of 2-0, 2-1 and 8-4. The Wildcats hit just .250 for the weekend, but did get a 5-for-12 series from preseason All-Big East third baseman Kevin Jewitt. Junior left hander Josh Harris is back to lead the pitching staff after posting a 5-7 record with a 3.75 ERA last season. Righty Max Almonte will also be a key starter after returning to the team following a redshirt year in 2013.

Villanova was predicted to finish tied for sixth in the Big East this season with new conference member Butler. The Wildcats went 14-40 overall and 5-19 in the Big East last season.

NSU vs. Spartan Classic Opposition
The Spartans have never faced Buffalo or Quinnipiac on the diamond before. NSU and Villanova are quite familiar with each other though, having played 21 prior games against each other, all since 2004. Villanova is 18-3 in those games, including a three-game sweep of NSU at Marty L. Miller Field in the last series matchup in 2012. NSU's last win was a 9-4 victory in the second game of the 2011 season.