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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Baseball Starts Spring Break Trip at Norfolk State on Sunday; Game Added at Elon on Monday
March 13, 2009 | Baseball
This Weekend's Series
Gametime: Sunday, March 14 at 1 p.m. (DH)
Records: Princeton (3-2), Norfolk State (3-5)
Stats: Princeton, Norfolk State
Site: Marty L. Miller Field (Norfolk, Va.)
Series History: First Meeting
**UPDATED 3/13 - Saturday's schedule baseball doubleheader between Princeton and Norfolk State has been canceled due to an ominous forecast of heavy rain in the Norfolk area. The teams will attempt to play their regularly-scheduled doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m., weather permitting. Additionally, Princeton has added a game on Monday evening at Elon.
The Princeton baseball team begins its Spring Break trip this weekend with a four-game series at Norfolk State. The Tigers enter the trip with a 3-2 record after taking three of four games from William & Mary last weekend.The Tigers moved to 3-2 with three wins last weekend. Princeton was strong at the plate and on the mound all weekend as the Tigers plated 34 runs over the four games and limited the Tribe to 16 earned runs. On the mound, the Tiger lowered their team ERA to 3.72 as several pitchers turn in good performances.
Princeton, which dropped its first game of the season at UNC Greensboro in the bottom of the ninth, had its first two games at William & Mary also decided late. In the both games in Williamsburg, the Tribe tied the game in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Princeton came back to win the first while William & Mary took the second. The Tigers won the next two by wider margins to complete the series.
Several Tigers had strong weekends at the plate. Junior Brian Berkowitz, who was named the Ivy League Player of the Week for his efforts, led the group. Berkowitz was 6 for 13 at the plate with seven RBIs and five runs scored. He hit two home runs, including a grand slam in the third game of the series. Junior David Hale batted above .500 for the weekend, hitting four doubles and driving in five.
Sophomore Greg Van Horn, junior Jon Broscious and freshman Andrew Whitener all hit above .300 for the weekend. Van Horn added home runs in the first two games of the series before an injury kept him out of the last two games. Like Berkowitz, Broscious hit a grand slam over the weekend and freshman Sam Mulroy and senior Adrian Turnham also hit long balls.
The Tiger pitching staff also had a good weekend as it pitched to a 3.82 ERA over the weekend. Hale struck out eight in five innings in his start but got a no-decision, as he was touched for some unearned runs. Senior Brad Gemberling allowed two earned over six innings to pick up a win and junior Langford Stuber also got a win, allowing three earned runs and striking out seven in five innings. Princeton's other win came from the bullpen as sophomore Matt Grabowski won the first game in relief.
The weekend Princeton visits Norfolk State in the first meeting between the two schools. Scattered showers are in the forecast for both days in Norfolk with temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s.
Norfolk State is 3-5 on the season having lost five of its last six after a 2-0 start to the season. The Spartans enter the weekend after dropping two of three to Marist last weekend and then falling in a midweek game to VMI. Norfolk State also has defeated North Carolina Central and Savannah State this season, but has also fallen to Savannah State and Georgetown.
The Tigers have a scheduled off day on Monday. After that Princeton will visit North Carolina, currently the nation's top-ranked team, on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.