Tournament Details:  Thursday, May 10 – Saturday, May 12
Location: Mitchel Athletic Complex | Uniondale, N.Y.
Game Links:  Watch Live | Live Stats
Twitter: @LIUPostPioneers | @LIUPBSB
LIU Post Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats 

THE FIRST LOOK

The LIU Post baseball team (28-18, 16-8 ECC) captured the No. 3 seed for the East Coast Conference Championship this week, closing out the regular season with three consecutive victories against No. 1 seed St. Thomas Aquinas College (33-13, 18-6). Rounding out the four-team tournament is No. 2 seed Molloy College (29-19, 18-6 ECC) and No. 4 seed University of Bridgeport (14-32, 11-13 ECC).
 
The Pioneers open the ECC Tournament on Thursday, May 10 when they take on host Molloy College at 3:00 p.m. at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y.

INSIDE THE SERIES
 
Below is LIU Post's record vs. each of the three teams in ECC Tournament over the past 10 meetings and current win/loss streak:
 
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas – 6-4 (W3)
No. 2 Molloy – 6-4 (L3)
No. 4 Bridgeport – 6-4 (W2)
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
 
LIU Post
 
Closed out the regular season with three victories against nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas to finish with a 16-8 mark in ECC play.
 
St. Thomas Aquinas
 
Dropped its final three regular season games to LIU Post, but remained the No. 1 seed by holding the tiebreaker against Molloy. Has been consistently one of the top teams in the east region this season and was nationally ranked for the majority of the regular season.
 
Molloy
 
Won its final six contests of the regular season, including the final three matchups against LIU Post and a non-conference sweep of Pace University. Finished the regular season with an 18-6 mark in ECC play after starting the year 13-0.
 
Bridgeport
 
Despite winning just 14 contests on the year, the Purple Knights took three of four games from Mercy to knock the Mavericks out of the No. 4 spot by one game in the final regular season standings. The Purple Knights have won six of their last eight games entering the postseason.
 
TEAM LEADERS
 
LIU Post
 
Junior James Varela dominated on the mound this season, finishing the regular season 10-1 with a 2.63 earned run average and 110 strikeouts. Varela notched a stretch of six consecutive complete games and suffered his only loss of the season in his final start against St. Thomas Aquinas in the series opener May 4. The right-hander set new LIU Post program records for single-season wins and strikeouts, and was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year.
 
At the plate, juniors Michael Manzione and Anthony Vaglica have provided a power spark in the middle of the lineup with six home runs apiece, combining for 52 runs batted in. At the top of the lineup, senior second Ramger Iglesias has caught fire, hitting .432 over his last 10 games, including a 7-for-7 effort in a doubleheader against St. Thomas Aquinas on May 5. Iglesias also helped set new program records this year, breaking the single-season stolen base mark with 39 stolen bags.
 
St. Thomas Aquinas
 
You don't have to look far to see the top threat for the Spartans. Senior Giovanni Dingcong was named the ECC Player of the Year after hitting .371 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. Fellow senior Joseph Pena leads the team with a .396 average, adding a team-best 19 doubles and 47 runs scored.
 
Senior Frankie Moscatiello leads a strong pitching staff with a 7-2 record on the bump, notching a 2.43 earned run average. Out of the pen, sophomore Angelo Baez has netted a league-high 10 saves behind a 1.75 earned run average and 10.75 K/9 innings.
 
Molloy
 
The ECC tabbed freshman Matt Overton as the Rookie of the Year after the Smithtown native hit hit .331 with 10 doubles and 29 RBIs in his rookie campaign. Senior Angelo Navetta leads the team with a .396 average, adding a team-best 13 doubles, nine triples and 44 RBIs.
 
Senior Kevin Hiss has been solid on the mound throughout the year, compiling an 8-3 record with a 3.20 earned run average. In 78.2 innings he has struck out a team-high 63 batters, while holding opponents to a .235 average. The Lions have featured fellow senior Shawn Klotsche out of the bullpen, recording nine saves on the season.
 
Bridgeport
 
Senior Daren Grabowski earned first-team All-ECC accolades after hitting .331 at the plate with nine home runs and 20 RBIs. His 23 extra-base hits lead the Purple Knights, while graduate student Tom Rinaldi also earned first-team all-conference honors this season after compiling 47 RBIs and 17 extra-base hits.
 
Sophomore Jason Burger leads Bridgeport with four victories on the mound, recording a 4.04 earned run average with 35 strikeouts. Classmate Jonathan Brooks is the top arm out of the bullpen, holding opponents to a .248 average in 19 appearances.

TICKET INFORMATION

Admission will be charged for all fans in attendance for this week's contests. Tickets for adults will be $6 and senior citizens and children will be admitted for $2. Weekend passes are available at a rate of $15 for adults and $5 for seniors and children.