With rain in the forecast on Saturday, the schedule for the Hobart-Ithaca baseball series has been changed. The Statesmen will travel to Ithaca to face the Bombers at 4 p.m. today. The teams will square off in Geneva at McDonough Park in a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 3 p.m.
 
Prior to the start of Friday's games, Hobart will honor its 14 seniors, the first four-year Statesmen since the program returned to varsity status in 2023. They went 9-21 as first-years and led the transformation of the program into today's 24-9 team that is tied for first in the Liberty League West.
 
For online coverage of today's game, visit athletics.ithaca.edu. Friday's doubleheader will be streamed on HWS All-Access. Fans can also track the action with Live Stats.
 
During Friday's doubleheader, Taste of Soul will be at McDonough Park serving fans Southern comfort food. HWS students, faculty and staff will receive one free entrée with a valid OneCard courtesy of HWS Athletics.
 
Scouting the Statesmen

• Hobart enters the series with a 24-9 overall record, including an 8-3 mark in Liberty League play.
• The Statesmen are coming off a 13-3 win at St. Lawrence on Tuesday.
• Hobart is batting .309 as a team (2nd in the league) and leads the conference in runs (279), hits (325), triples (18), and RBIs (250).
• The Statesmen pitchers have the Liberty League's best ERA (4.24) and most shutouts (4) and are backed by the league's top defense (.975 fielding percentage).
• First-year shortstop Jack O'Neil is hitting a team-leading .377 with a team-high 18 stolen bases.
• Junior first baseman Sean Garvin is hitting .370 and paces Hobart in hits (44), doubles (10), triples (3), home runs (4), and runs (37). He's riding a 15-game hitting streak.
• Senior starting pitcher Teck Nash has thrown a league-high 55 innings and sports a 5-1 record with a 3.44 ERA.

 
Scouting the Bombers

• Ithaca is 17-12 overall, 8-7 in league play.
• The Bombers defeated Alfred State 12-2 on Wednesday.
• As a team, Ithaca leads the league in hitting (.321) and on-base percentage (.434) and is second in the league in home runs (27) and RBIs (225).
• Opponents are hitting .290 against the Bombers' pitching staff, which has a 6.40 ERA.
• Ithaca has three hitters batting .375 or higher with at least 60 at bats. Sophomore first baseman Ethan Fantel has a team best .433 batting average, including team-leading seven homers.
• Senior infielder Lucas Orlovitz is close being, hitting .420.
• Junior starting pitcher Jack Picozzi has thrown a team-high 37 innings, sporting a 4-2 record with a 4.14 ERA while holding opponents to a .236 batting average.

 
Series Snapshot

• Since Hobart returned to varsity status, the Statesmen have faced the Bombers 11 times with Ithaca prevailing nine times.
• The Bombers scored a 9-4 non-conference win over the Statesmen in Cortland, N.Y. last month.
• The last time the teams played in Geneva, Hobart scored a 13-3 win in eight innings. Junior Connor O'Neil had the big game at the plate for the Statesmen, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

 
Playoff Picture

• The top four teams in each Liberty League division advance to the Liberty League Crossover Series May 1-2. Hobart has clinched a top four finish, but could finish anywhere in the top four in the West.
• The four winners of the crossover series advance to the Liberty League Championship Tournament May 7-9.