LIU (19-18, 18-6 NEC) vs MERCYHURST (13-24, 12-12 NEC)
 Friday, May 1 – 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 2 – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 3 – 12:00 p.m.
 
The Mercyhurst baseball team is set to play three games this weekend against the LIU Sharks. The Lakers play the Sharks starting on Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
Previous Results
The Lakers are 13-24 on the year. Last week, they lost their midweek matchup against Kent State with a final score of 13-2.
 
At home, the Lakers lost all three games to NEC leader FDU. They lost game one with a final score of 20-6, lost game two with a final score of 4-1 and lost game three with a final score 10-9. Despite the losses, the Lakers saw some offensive surges from senior Zachary Kourous and graduate student Ranciel Ventura. Kourous went 6-for-11 against FDU, including four RBIs and three walks. Ventura went 7-for-11, including a 4-for-4 performance in game one.
 
Matchup History
The Sharks lead the series all-time against the Lakers 3-0. The first matchup in program history came on April 4, 2025, where the Lakers lost 2-0. Graduate student Jayden Walker had an exceptional series last year on Long Island. In three games against LIU, Walker hit .417 and got three RBIs, including a two-run home run.
 
Batting Leaders
Kourous leads all Lakers with a .378 batting average, which ranks sixth in the NEC. He also leads the Lakers with 76 total bases, which is 12^th in the NEC. Kourous has 95 RBI in his collegiate career with the Lakers, and he looks to break the century mark this weekend.
 
Freshman Logan Koslin is second on the team with a .276 batting average. He is third in the NEC with 21 hit by pitches.
 
Pitching Leaders
Junior Andrew Malec leads all Lakers with a 5.35 ERA, which ranks eighth in the NEC. Sophomore Nate Vargo is second on the Lakers with a 5.80 ERA, which is 11^th in the NEC. Against FDU, Vargo pitched six innings, giving up one run on two hits, and striking out five.
 
A Closer Look: LIU

• LIU opened their season 19-18, including matchups against Army, Jacksonville and San Diego State. Their 18-6 NEC record is second overall in the conference.
• Shortstop Ryan Rivera leads all Sharks with a .362 batting average, which ranks ninth in the NEC. He also leads the team in hits with 55, which is seventh in the NEC.
• Infielder Elijah Fairchild is fourth on the Sharks with a .331 batting average. He leads all Sharks with three triples, which is ranked fourth in the NEC.
• Pitcher Nicholas Finarelli leads all pitchers with a 4.95 ERA, which is fifth overall in the NEC. He has a team-leading 72 strikeouts this year, which is also leading the NEC.