New Haven, Conn. – (5/2/2013) – As the final Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) games of the 2013 season reached their conclusion last night, the field for the 2013 CACC Championship Tournament came to fruition. With a 10-10 league standing, Chestnut Hill College will serve as the #6 seed and travel to #3 Concordia College (NY) for a 2:00 p.m. Opening Round contest on Tuesday, May 7. Correspondingly, #4 Philadelphia University will host #5 Felician College, at Latshaw-McCarthy Field, with the winners of each contest meeting #1 Wilmington University and #2 Dominican College at Wilson Stadium in New Castle, Delaware, for the next round of the postseason playoff.
 
Entering a CACC doubleheader against Nyack College on April 13, Chestnut Hill College (17-24, 10-10) stood at 4-8 in league play. In their final four CACC doubleheaders, the Griffins went 6-2, sweeping twin bills with the Warriors, 3-2, and 3-0, and Caldwell College on April 20, 20-6 and 11-0, while splitting their contests with the University of the Sciences (USciences) on April 16, 8-5 and 6-10, and Felician College on April 27, 1-2 (10) and 7-0.
 
Experience and pitching headlined the late-season push with junior center fielder Desmond Lites (Philadelphia, Pa.) sparking a united lineup and pitchers; graduate Micah Winterstein (Philadelphia, Pa.), senior Robert Hopkins (Philadelphia, Pa.), and sophomore Dominic Raia III (Philadelphia, Pa.), mowing down the competition. Lites provided a .414 (12-for-29) batting average and a .552 slugging percentage to score six runs, knock in four, and steal four bases (4-of-5, 80.0%), while other significant contributions were made by junior left fielder Joseph Mullin (Warrington, Pa.), .370 (10-for-27) and six runs-batted-in (RBI), junior third baseman Raymond Puskar (Green Lane, Pa.), .333 (10-for-30) and nine RBI, and senior shortstop Joseph Crane (Churchville, Pa.), .323 (10-for-31), seven RBI, and five stolen bases (5-of-8, 62.5%).
 
Meanwhile, on the hill, the Griffins carried a 2.35 team earned run average (ERA) over the stretch. Highlighting the run was the program's first no-hitter; an eight-strikeout, one-walk, outing from Raia in the Griffins 7-0, game-two, win at Caldwell College. Raia will carry a 16-inning scoreless streak into the playoffs after supplying a 1.54 ERA and three wins in his last three starts. Over the same stretch, Hopkins was 2-0 with a 2.78 ERA while Winterstein continued an outstanding season with a 1.50 ERA and three saves.

Of the course of the season, freshman designated hitter Brendan Looby (Sewell, N.J.) was the anchor of a balanced lineup with his team-leading .344 (53-for-154) batting average, good for 8^th in the CACC, and 32 RBI, good for 5^th in the CACC. Looby's protection in the lineup, Puskar, led the league in walks (33) to rank him fifth in on-base percentage (.441). Raia set a program mark for wins, earning the record with his no-hit bid against the Cougars. He finished the year 6-3 with a 2.89 ERA, striking out 43 over 62.2 innings of work. Winterstein has paced the CACC in ERA, posting a 0.79 allowance and holding his opponents to a .168 (19-for-113) batting average while totaling four saves and 26 strikeouts over 34.1 innings out of the bullpen.
 
For more information regarding the 2013 CACC Baseball Tournament please visit the CACC.
 
Game Schedule:
 
Tuesday, May 7 on campus sites
#6 Chestnut Hill College at #3 Concordia College (NY) – 2:00 pm
#5 Felician College at #4 Philadelphia University – 2:00 pm
 
Thursday, May 9 @ Wilson Stadium (New Castle, DE)
Game 1- 12:00 PM - #1 Wilmington University vs. 4/5 winner
Game 2- 3:00 PM - #2 Dominican College (NY) vs. 3/6 winner
 
Friday, May 10 @ Frawley Stadium
Game 3- 12:00 PM loser of game 1 vs. loser of game 2
Game 4- 3:00 PM winner of game 1 vs. winner of game 2
Game 5- 6:00 PM winner of game 3 vs. loser of game 4
 
Saturday, May 11 @ Frawley Stadium
Game 6- 11:00 PM winner of game 4 vs. winner of game 5
Game 7- 2:00 PM (If Needed)
 
* Rainout Date - Sunday, May 12 @ Frawley Stadium