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Princeton University Athletics
Baseball Begins Nine-Day, Nine-Game Trek Across Carolinas and Maryland
March 17, 2006 | Baseball
March 17, 2006
PRINCETON - The Princeton baseball team begins its annual mid-March trek across the southeastern United States on Saturday when it visits Western Carolina for a doubleheader. The games will begin a nine-day, nine-game stretch for the Tigers, who are 3-4 on the young season. During the weeklong trip, Princeton will also play games at Davidson, UNC Greensboro and Navy.
Princeton took its first series of the 2006 season last weekend at Richmond, winning both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday, before dropping the third game on Sunday. Princeton picked up wins of 8-3 and 6-2 on Saturday, then fell 12-10 on Sunday. Eight of the 12 runs in Sunday's game that were scored against Princeton were unearned.
Senior Andrew Salini led the offense for the Tigers, hitting four home runs during the weekend and driving in seven. Salini was named the first Ivy League Player of the Week this season on Tuesday. Five of his nine hits this season are home runs and he has driven in a third of Princeton's runs. Freshman Andrew Doupe also hit two homers over the weekend, the first two of his career at Princeton. He was named to the League's Honor Roll for the performance.
Princeton junior reliever Michael Zaret picked up the win in the first game at Richmond, allowing a run on three hits in three innings. In Game 2, junior starter Gavin Fabian picked up the win and junior Eric Walz pitched four scoreless innings, earning a save.
Princeton opened the season two weekends ago with a four-game set in Charleston against The Citadel. Princeton began that weekend with three losses, but closed the trip with a 3-2 win in the finale. Through two weekends of play, senior Zach Wendkos leads the Tiger offense with a .417 batting average. He ranks second in hits and extra-base hits. Junior Aaron Prince is batting .379 with a team-leading 11 hits and the team's best on-base percentage (.483). Salini leads the way in home runs (5), extra-base hits (7) and RBIs (12). He also has 26 total bases and a 1.083 slugging percentage.
The Tiger pitchers are led by sophomore Christian Staehely's 1.12 ERA. He has allowed just one earned run in eight innings pitched. Zaret has a 2.57 ERA and has made two appearances from the bullpen. He has surrendered six hits in seven innings and has a win to his credit. Walz' 3.38 ERA ranks third on the team and he also has a save as he started a game and came on in relief in one.
The Week at a Glance
Saturday, March 18 • 1 p.m.
Princeton at Western Carolina Game 1
Erik Stiller (0-0, 5.00 ERA) vs. Tyler Sexton (3-1, 2.77 ERA)
Gametracker
Saturday, March 18 • 3:30 p.m.
Princeton at Western Carolina Game 2
Gavin Fabian (1-1, 8.38 ERA) vs. Brock Thornburg (1-1, 8.25 ERA)
Gametracker
Sunday, March 19 • 1 p.m.
Princeton at Western Carolina
Eric Walz (0-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Corey Martin (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
Gametracker
Monday, March 20 • 6 p.m.
Princeton at Davidson
Christian Staehely (0-0, 1.12 ERA) vs. tba
Livestats
Tuesday, March 21 • 6 p.m.
Princeton at UNC Greensboro
Brad Gemberling (0-0, 7.36 ERA) vs. tba
Livestats
Wednesday, March 22 • 6 p.m.
Princeton at UNC Greensboro
TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. tba
Livestats
Information for the games at Navy will be updated on Thursday.