Rockville Centre, N.Y. – The second-seeded Molloy baseball team takes on the top-seeded Saint Thomas Aquinas Spartans in the ECC final, which is a best-of-three series at Mitchel Field. The first game is Friday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m., game two is Saturday, May 22 at 12:00 p.m., and game three will be played if needed Saturday, May 22 at 3:00 p.m.

To watch along, visit the ECC Network. Live stats are available Here.

About the Lions:

• Molloy finished the regular season 19-9 overall and 15-4 in ECC play.
• The Lions are ranked #5 in the NCAA East Regional rankings. 
• Head coach Joe Fucarino was named the East Coast Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time of this career.
• The maroon and white had 10 All-Conference honorees. Graduate student Sean Hogan was named the ECC Player of the Year. Hogan, redshirt junior Thomas Brady, senior Matt Overton, sophomore Charlie Cucchiara, and graduate student Timothy Panetta were named to the First Team, while senior Jake McCarthy, sophomore David Franchi, graduate student James Messina, freshman Garrett Scavelli, and senior Peter Theodorellis earned Second Team honors.
• Hogan leads the league in batting average (.402) and hits (41). The East Meadow, N.Y. native finished the regular season fourth in RBIs (30) and total bases (55), fifth in triples (3), sixth in on base percentage (.480), and seventh in doubles (8).
• Overton is tied for the league lead in RBIs (34) and fifth in hits (37).
• McCarthy is fourth in hits (39) and fifth in batting average (.375).
• Messina is third in runs (33).
• Theodorellis leads the ECC with 38 runs scored and four triples. The senior is second in walks (25), fourth in doubles (11), and fifth in total bases (54).
• Cucchiara leads the ECC in complete games (4) and shutouts (2). The sophomore is 3-2 and is third in ERA (1.95).
• Panetta second in the league in wins (5) and strikeouts (61).
• The Lions rank eighth in the NCAA in batting averages (.342) and 10^th in on base percentage (.443).
• Molloy is also 12^th in strikeout to walk ratio (2.93).

Postseason History:

• This is the maroon and white's first time in the ECC Championship since 2018.
• The Lions made the NCAA East Regional in 2016.
• Molloy made it to the 2017 and 2018 ECC final. P,anetta, Hogan, Messina, and graduate student Patrick Kennedy all played in the final both seasons.

STAC:

• The Spartans, who are ranked #1 in the NCAA East Regional rankings are 25-3 overall and finished league play 17-3.
• Andrew Jemison leads the team with 38 hits.
• STAC went 2-1 against Molloy during the regular season.
• The Lions are 50-42 all-time against the Spartans.
• STAC swept Queens (16-0 and 7-3) in the ECC semifinal.
• The Lions fell to the Spartans, 3-2, in the ECC final in 2018. McCarthy and Messina drove in one run in the loss.