This is part of Hall Pass’ all-access series on the Seton Hall vs Monmouth baseball game.
With sunny skies in the forecast, the Seton Hall Pirates are set to face off against Monmouth University for a mid-week bout. The Pirates enter the matchup with a winning record of 14-13-1 on the season, while Monmouth boasts a record of 12-20. The Monmouth Hawks have won two of their last three games, while Seton Hall is red-hot, having won five of its last six contests.
To see success, Seton Hall must get the bats going early. This season, Monmouth is 1-6 in games that they trail after the first inning, and 3-11 after trailing in the second. If Seton Hall can get out to an early lead, it can rely on defense to secure a win over the Hawks.
To combat this potential early surge, Monmouth’s pitching staff will have to be careful to not allow the Pirates to get into a rhythm. Seton Hall hitters Mike Alescio (.318), Al Molina (.308) and Sebastiano Santorelli (.287) have been difference-makers for Seton Hall at the plate this season and will be threats come Wednesday.
The Pirates are coming off a nine-run, two-home-run game against Xavier on April 14 after putting up 28 runs against Princeton on April 11. Seton Hall may continue to ride that momentum into Wednesday’s game against Monmouth and look to put it away early.
In order for the Pirates to stay ahead and keep control of the game, it is crucial they neutralize the Hawk’s center-fielder Kyle Norman at the plate. Norman is debatably the Hawk’s best hitter, entering the game with a .303 batting average. Other key Monmouth players to look out for are Shaine Hughes (.279) and Danny Long (.277).
If Monmouth looks to stop the surging Pirates, it will need to rely on solid defensive play. Monmouth is 5-1 when holding opponents to two runs or fewer. If the Pirates score more than that, Monmouth can be in some dangerous waters.
Hall Pass will have full coverage of Wednesday’s game with live tweeting, player interviews, post-game coverage and more. Check back to the blog to see all the latest updates and scores, and be sure to follow along on Twitter @SHU_HallPass.
Brandon Cintron can be reached at brandon.cintron@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Brandon_Cintron.