POMONA, NY (May 27, 2023) – No. 2 Rider University has claimed the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Baseball Championship at Clover Stadium in Pomona, NY on Saturday afternoon. The Broncs took down the Stags in a winner take all game after falling in the day’s opening contest, en route to the program’s fourth MAAC title.
No. 1 Fairfield 8 | No. 2 Rider 7
Clover Stadium | POMONA, NY
Box Score
Top-seeded Fairfield (37-17) avenged their 6-3 loss from game seven against No. 2 Rider (34-19), by winning the first game of the championship series 8-7 in walk-off fashion to force a winner take all game. Rider got to work early, with Brendan O’Donnell blasting a three-run shot over the stadium’s left field wall in the opening frame, to put the Broncs up 3-0. The Stags would get a pair of runs back, scoring in the second and fifth innings to bring its deficit within one. Rider responded, plating two runs in the top of the sixth, going ahead 5-2, but Fairfield rallied in the bottom half of the inning to take its first advantage in the contest. With two runners on, Mike Handal hit a three-run bomb to left center, knotting up the meeting at five all. Later in the inning, Noah Lucier hit a two-out single up the middle, advancing Ethan Hibbard home and giving the Stags their first lead of the afternoon (6-5). The lead would change hands again in the top of the seventh by way of O’Donnell’s second dinger of the day, this time a two-run shot into the right field “Short Porch” putting Rider up 7-6. The score would remain the same going into the bottom of the ninth, with Fairfield needing a run to keep its season alive; and that is exactly what the Stags would do. The game-tying run was driven home by Handal’s RBI single, with Charlie Pagliarini crossing the plate. With bases loaded, two outs and two strikes, Rider pitcher Danny Kirwin would throw a wild pitch, leading to pinch runner Paul Catalano taking off and sliding home for the walk-off win.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- The Fairfield trio of Lucier (2-for-5), Handal (2-for-5), and Matt Bergevin (2-for-4) led the team at the plate.
- Handal had four RBIs and one run along with his homer.
- Lucier had two runs batted in.
- Bergevin led the team in runs scored, making it home twice in the win.
- Bowen Baker (4-2) took the mound for a third of an inning, recording the final out of the ninth, leading to him earning the victory.
Rider Notes and Notables
- O’Donnell’s two dingers were the 33rd and 34th for him in a Rider uniform, making him the program’s all-time career home run leader.
- O’Donnell would finish the game 4-for-5, just missing out on the cycle with a two home runs, and a double, to go along with his five RBIs, and three runs scored.
- John Volpe (2-for-4) and Erich Hartmann (2-for-3) both had a pair of hits at the plate, while Volpe also drew a walk and Hartmann drove in a run.
- Kirwin (6-2), the MAAC leader in saves (second in the nation), was the losing pitcher in the contest after tossing 2.2 innings with a strikeout, four walks, a hit, and a pair of earned runs.
No. 2 Rider 18 | No. 1 Fairfield 4
Clover Stadium | POMONA, NY
Box Score
Rider scored early and often in the rubber match, leading to an 18-4 blowout win over Fairfield in the winner take all game. The Broncs opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs off of three hits and an error. The Stags would get three runs back in the top of the fifth, highlighted by Griffin Watson’s two-run homer, putting Fairfield behind by one run after five and a half. That would be the closet the Stags get for the rest of the afternoon as Rider took full control of the game in the bottom half of the inning by producing an eight run, seven hit, rally to go ahead by a commanding 12-3 lead. Leadoff hitter, Scott Shaw, was the main catalyst of the run, beginning and ending the stanza by going yard, for a two home run inning. The most notable bullet point of the rally was that the Broncs scored seven of their eight runs in the inning with two outs. Over the next three innings, the Broncs would tack on six more runs – two each in the sixth, seventh, and eighth – securing the win and the championship.
Rider Notes and Notables
- Rider finished the game with 18 runs coming from 18 hits and a pair of Fairfield errors, while leaving six runners stranded.
- Eight of the nine starters registered a hit, with three logging an extra base hit and a pair registering home runs.
- Shaw had a game for the ages, recording his first career “hat trick” with three home runs, while also earning six RBIs and three runs scored on 4-for-6 hitting at the plate.
- Jordan Erbe (4-for-5) also had a quartet of hits, scoring four runs and a single RBI.
- John Volpe had a pair of hits and a walk, with a double, four RBIs, and one run.
- Luke Lesch was 2-for-5, hitting one homer for two RBIs and one run scored.
- The duo of Jack Winsett and Erich Hartmann each got on base twice, had two RBIs, and scored twice.
- PJ Craig (3-1) got the starting nod and earned the victory on the mound.
- He pitched five innings, struck out four hitters, and gave up six hits for three earned runs.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- Watson was the only Stag with a multi-hit outing, going 3-for-5, with the dinger, two RBIs, and one score.
- Matt Bergevin and AJ Donofrio batted in the other two runs for Fairfield in the contest.
- The Stags used seven different arms in the game, with starter Emmett Tolis (0-1) picking up the losing decision after tossing 1.1 innings.
Championship Game Notes
- Rider wins its second title in three years, also beating Fairfield in 2021 as well, and the fourth trophy overall in program history (2008, 2010).
- It is the Broncs 15th NCAA berth in program history.
- Rider skipper Dr. Barry Davis becomes the second coach in league history to win four MAAC Championships, joining former Siena coach Tony Rossi who has five.
- The 18 runs scored by the Broncs were tied for the most in a championship game, matching Fairfield’s total in the 2016 title game (18-2).
- The 14-run margin (18-4) was tied for the second largest discrepancy in a championship final, matching the 1999 title game, which Siena defeated Rider 16-2.
- This was also the first time since 2015 that the championship was determined in a winner take all game.
Rider earns the MAAC automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. The Broncs will find out what regional they are headed to when the field of 64 is announced during the Division I Baseball Selection Show, which airs live on Monday, May 29 at noon on ESPN2.
| 2023 Baseball All-Championship Team |
| Name |
School |
| Mike DeStefano |
Canisius |
| Tom Peltier |
Canisius |
| Keegan O’Connor |
Quinnipiac |
| Kevin Seitter |
Quinnipiac |
| Matt Bergevin |
Fairfield |
| Blake Helmstetter |
Fairfield |
| Charlie Pagliarini |
Fairfield |
| Frank Doelling |
Rider |
| Luke Lesch |
Rider |
| John Volpe |
Rider |
| Brian Young |
Rider |
| Scott Shaw (MVP) |
Rider |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram or visit
MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.