NAC CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Despite being projected to finish last in the West Division of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), the Lesley University baseball team defied expectations and took first place in the division with a 19-16 record while also clinching the No.2 seed (11-5 in NAC) in head coach Cody Mercier's first year. Lesley will take on No.3 seed Thomas College (at Husson) on Thursday, May 8 at 3 p.m.

Coach Mercier has his guys ready and know that the playoff are a different kind of beast. "This is what we have worked for all season," said Mercier. "The playoffs are a different level. Every pitch matters, every mistake is magnified. Our guys are locked in, and if we play our brand of baseball, I like our chances." 

Five Things to Know

• Lesley and Thomas split their matchup this year with the Lynx taking the first game 20-13, but falling in the second 10-5. 
• Overall, Lesley holds the series lead against Thomas, 4-2. 
• Thursday's game marks the first time both squads will meet in postseason play. 
• In the state of Maine this year, the Lynx are 5-1. 
• The Lynx ended the regular season on a six-game win streak and it is the first time in program history the squad ended the year on a win streak of five or more games.

Who to Watch For

• The Lesley offense will be led by first basemen, James Brandon (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) who had yet another stellar year for the Lynx. Brandon led the NAC with a .417 batting average (career and team-high) to go along with 115 hits, three homers, 36 RBIs, 48 hits (team-high), .565 slugging percentage (team-high), and .558 on-base percentage. He had 10 multi RBI games this year and tied his career-high in RBIs (four) in a 13-0 win vs. Dean (April 16). Brandon also had 15 multi-hit games including a four-hit performance in a 15-0 NAC win at UMaine Farmington (May 1). Brandon also rewrote the history books for the Lynx this year setting career program records in  doubles (34), hits (175), and RBIs (124). In his two games versus Thomas, Brandon recorded two hits while drawing a season-high four walks.
• Lesley's power hitter this was Colin McCarthy (Rehoboth, Mass.) who led the squad with a career-high four homers this year. He also set other career-highs in multiple hitting categories including hits (31), doubles (seven), RBIs (37), batting average (.292), on-base percentage (.459), and slugging (.491). He had 11 multi-RBI games this year in and in those contests, Lesley was 8-3. Against Thomas, McCarthy totaled two hits and three RBIs.
• On the mound, Lesley features two starters who totaled at least 40.0 IP in Roy Lenhard (Shelton, Conn.) and Andrew Gryniewicz (Hollis, N.H.). Lenhard led the Lynx this year with 46.0 IP and allowed 59 hits, 33 runs (28 earned), and struck out 35 with an ERA of 5.48. His best start came in a complete game 15-0 NAC win at UMaine Farmington (May 1) where he junior went 8.0 IP while allowing four hits and striking out two. In that game, Lenhard had a stretch starting in the fourth until the end where he retired 13-straight batters. Meanwhile in 42.1 IP, Gryniewicz led Lesley with a 5-2 record while allowing 57 hits and 43 runs (35 earned) and struck out 31. The senior's strongest start came in a 13-0 win againt Dean where he went all seven innings and allowed just three hits while striking out a season-high seven batters.
• Thomas' offense is paced by senior Cam Haynes who notched a .404 batting average while recording 46 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, six homers, and 44 RBIs. Haynes had a stretch this year where he recorded a hit in eight-straight games which included two three-hit performances against Saint Joseph's (Maine) (April 16) and Lesley (April 18). His best game came against Saint Jospeh's (Maine) on April 16 when he went 3-4 and drove in a career-high seven RBIs. Against the Lynx this year, Haynes had five hits, one home run, and seven RBIs. 
• Andrew Pruell was one Thomas' top arms this season after tossing 44.0 IP and finsihed with a 5-4 record allowing 37 hits and 32 runs (24 earned) while striking out a team-high and NAC-best 51. Pruell's best start came against University of Maine Presque Isle (May 1) when he went six innings allowing four hits and zero runs. 

Up Next

• The winner of Thursday's game will take on the winner of No.1 seed Husson vs. No.4 seed SUNY Cobleskill on Friday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. However, the loser of Thursday's game will play in a winner take-all matchup later that day at 6:00 p.m against the loser of Husson vs. SUNY Cobleskill.