PHILADELPHIA -- Saint Joseph’s has leaned on its bullpen all spring, and this week, one of its most important pieces earned national recognition.
Senior right-hander Andrew Gaines was named to the midseason watch list for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, an honor presented annually by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association to the top relief pitcher in Division I.
Gaines has pitched like it.
A Marlton, New Jersey native, he has recorded seven saves across 16 appearances, anchoring the back end of Saint Joseph’s bullpen with a 3-1 record and a 2.45 ERA over 22 innings. The underlying numbers tell the story—35 strikeouts, a 14.32 K/9 rate, and a .153 opponent batting average. When the Hawks hand him the ball late, the game tends to end.
That reliability has helped position Saint Joseph’s atop the Atlantic 10 heading into a critical stretch. The Hawks carry a five-game lead over VCU in the race for the regular-season title, with 12 games remaining, including a key home series against the Rams in early May.
First, though, comes a familiar test.
Saint Joseph’s opens a weekend series Friday against La Salle, a local rival that has a history of tightening games, regardless of the standings. For a team with championship aspirations, these are the series that demand execution.
Elsewhere, the postseason picture is tightening.
At the Division III level, Swarthmore enters one of its most important weekends of the season. Sitting at 7-8 in the Centennial Conference, the Garnet are one game behind both Ursinus and Gettysburg for the final tournament spot.
The path forward won’t be easy.
Swarthmore hosts Haverford on Friday before traveling to Maryland for a doubleheader against second-place McDaniel (10-5) on Saturday. It’s the kind of weekend that can define a season—either pulling the Garnet into the postseason picture or leaving them needing help.
They’ll be watching the scoreboard.
Ursinus opens with Muhlenberg before facing top-seeded Johns Hopkins in a Saturday doubleheader, a stretch that could reshape the standings. Gettysburg remains in the mix, making this a three-team race that may come down to the final weekend.
In the MAC Commonwealth, the margins are just as thin.
Widener (12-6) has already secured a postseason berth, but Eastern (8-10) is still chasing one. At one game out with three remaining, the Eagles will get their chance directly—one game Friday and a doubleheader Sunday against Widener.
The equation is simple: win, and hope for help. A sweep, combined with losses by York or Hood, could be enough to push Eastern into the tournament field.
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