PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team will once again look to punch its ticket to the NCAA Division III Championship later this week as the third-seeded Cardinals are set to play in the Empire 8 Championship at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday when they play second-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology at Freeman Field on Ithaca College's campus.  The top-seeded Bombers will square off with fourth-seeded Utica College at 11 a.m. on Thursday with the winner of each advancing to the winners' bracket in the double elimination tournament.

Fans unable to make the trip to the southern tip of Cayuga Lake can still follow all of this weekend's action by clicking the links below:

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FAMILIAR FACES: While only in its fifth year, the Empire 8 Championship hasn't had much variety since its founding in 2015.  Of the top three seeds, Ithaca, Stevens and Fisher have played in the postseason tournament every year while the Pioneers have qualified three times overall. 

THE LAST TIME WE WERE AT FREEMAN: …Justin Graham did this….CLICK HERE …. That effort landed him as the number one play on ESPN Sportcenter's Top 10 Plays segment and was featured by various national outlets including the MLB Network.

PRODIGIOUS POWER: Of the four teams in this year's championship, the Cardinals are by far the most formidable at the plate.  Entering this week's games, head coach Brandon Potter's team leads the Empire 8 in nearly every offensive category including batting average (.329), runs (338), hits (445), doubles, (111), triples (15), RBI (302), total bases (673), slugging percentage (.487) and on-base percentage (.418).  Over 39 games this season, the Cardinals scored 10 runs or more in a game 17 times – by far the most of any team in the Empire 8.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: One thing Fisher does better than anyone else in the country is come up with two-base hits.  Over 39 regular season games, the Cardinals have averaged just under three doubles per game with 111 in total – the most of any school in Division III to date.  As a team, the Cardinals have seven players with at least nine two-baggers to their credit while Thomas Pasquale and Stephen Edgett lead the Empire 8 and rank in the nation's top 10 with 19 apiece.  Ryan Simmons has come up with 15 doubles already this year while Allen Murphy and Justin Graham have 14 and 13, respectively.  If Fisher can continue that trend, they'll make it very difficult on the opposition's pitching this weekend.

FISHER'S M&M BOYS: While they might not have the star power of a Mantle or a Maris, Allen Murphy and Antony Mantova both had huge junior seasons.  Murphy leads the Empire 8 with nine home runs  and a .396 batting average.  Murphy, who is slugging a ridiculous .679 over 39 games, has 14 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 42 RBI already.  Mantova on the other hand, has had a breakout year as he is hitting .379 with 55 hits, nine doubles, three triples, four homers and 40 RBI.  The outfielder has also scored 43 runs and swiped eight bags.

RUNNING THE GUANTLET: We've already touched on how deep Fisher's lineup is, but it's worth noting that through 39 games, five hitters have already notched at least 50 hits.  Even if a pitcher gets by one or two hitters, it's unlikely they'll be able to work through the order without someone teeing off.  Of the Empire 8's top six hitters, five call Fisher home including Murphy who leads the conference with 63 base knocks.  Pasquale has 58 to his credit while Graham owns 57 hits.  Mantova has 55 already this year while Simmons has come up with 50 base hits on the season.  Simmons is a nightmare for opposing pitching as he hit .350 this year with 41 RBI.

THE BIG RED MACHINE: So now you know the team can rake, but what good is hitting if you can't get a runner in once he's on base.  No worries – the Cardinals do this better than anyone in the conference, too.  Over 39 games, Fisher has driven in 302 runs this season, which is 53 more than any other team in the Empire 8.  As was true with hitting, the Cardinals boast five of the top six run producers in the conference with Pasquale leading the way with 43 RBI.  Murphy has 42 this season while Simmons and Mantova have combined to drive in 81 runs in total.

PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING: Aside from its offensive output, Fisher also has a talented corps of pitching led by freshman Kenneth Westbrook who ranks second overall in the Empire 8 with six wins on the hill.  Westbrook has thrown 45.1 innings and has a 3.38 earned run average while the right-hander has come away with 37 strikeouts.  Anthony Brophy can give Fisher some length as the former D3baseball.com Rookie of the Year is 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA over 29 innings of work while fellow left-hander Tim Geissel, who can make a spot start, has found a role as the team's closer with five saves and a 2.64 ERA over 30.2 innings.  The Cardinals also have high expectations for RJ Kuruts who is 4-3 on the year with a team-leading 61 strikeouts.  Matthew Raudelunas will also play a pivotal role this weekend as he has punched out 47 hitters over 34 innings of work this year as will relievers Jack Delaney, Brandon Roberts, Kyle Chambers, Jared Wren, Jim Dawson and Dillan Wilkinson.    
          
DEPTH MATTERS MOST: With a double elimination tournament, sometimes it's just about the number of quality arms that you have at your disposal.  This season, Fisher has had eight different starting pitchers and will enter the Empire 8 Championship with seven pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings over the regular season.  With Fisher potentially having to play four games, its pitching depth will come in handy down the stretch.

BREAKING DOWN ITHACA: The Bombers, who earned the top overall seed by virtue of a 16-2 mark in the Empire 8 standings, are a well-rounded team as head coach George Valesente's squad ranked second behind Fisher in average (.317), hits (388), doubles (82) and RBI (249) while their 34 home runs led the conference.  Buzz Shirley has the big bat in the heart of the Bombers' order as he leads the team with a .393 average.  Adam Gallagher leads the team with 45 base hits while his six home runs is tied with Webb Little for the most on the roster.

On the mound, the Bombers boasted the top team ERA of any team in this year's field at 3.36, however, they don't possess much depth as Ithaca has had just 12 pitchers throw an inning this year with three players having put over 56 innings each on their arm so far.

BREAKING DOWN STEVENS: The Ducks were a streaky team this year and will enter the postseason under .500 at 17-19.  They earned the second overall seed after taking 2-of-3 from the Cardinals back in March.  Stevens, which will depart for the MAC next season, ranked third in the conference with a .264 average.  Ryan Finegan leads the team with a .381 average while AJ Falconite has 39 hits on the year.

On the mound, Stevens posted a 5.43 earned run average, which was fourth in the Empire 8.  Chandler Brierley was proven to be the top starter with a 4.32 ERA over 10 starts.  He has accounted for 63 strikeouts over nearly 42 innings.  Danny Poidomani is the team's other work horse with a 4.94 ERA and a team-high 72 Ks over 54.2 innings.

BREAKING DOWN UTICA: The fourth seed in this year's field, Utica is making its first trip to the postseason in three years after going 9-9 in conference play, however, the Pioneers 1-8 against this year's field with their lone win coming against Stevens.  Overall, the Pioneers are hitting .258 this season with Tim Quinlan putting together a good season that includes a .378 average, 54 hits, 18 doubles and 27 RBI. 

From a pitching standpoint, Utica is led by Griffin Baur's 3.48 earned run average and 43 Ks. 
   
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