Pack9 Opponent Preview: Sacred Heart

Who’s the Pack playing?

Opponent: Sacred Heart

Mascot: J.D. and Turk | School Location: Fairfield, CT | Conference: MAAC

2026 Record: 1-5 (0-0, T-1st MAAC) | 2026 RPI Rank: 237

2025 Record: 28-26 (17-13, T-3rd MAAC) | 2025 RPI Rank: 186

2024 Record: 35-23 (25-8, 1st NEC) | 2024 RPI Rank: 145

When? Where? How do I watch?

Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)

Game Time(s): Fri, Feb 27 @ 3:00pm | Sat, Feb 28 @ 2:00pm | Sun, Mar 1 @ 1:00pm

TV: Friday (ACCNX) | Saturday (ACCNX) | Sunday (ACCNX)

Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (Friday | Saturday | Sunday)

Tell me about this team

Let’s take a quick look at what we wrote about Sacred Heart in our preseason series:

Six regulars return from last year’s lineup to form the basis of what should be a solid team in the MAAC. Three of their top hitters are gone, but there’s enough to get excited for here. Two weekend rotation members are gone, but that production isn’t irreplaceable. There are a few transfer arms, but nothing to get excited about, so the hope is that one of the six freshmen arms can step up. JR P.J. Rogan (4-1, 3 SV, 3.98 ERA, 43.0 IP, 9.8 BB%, 13.5 K%) is a switch pitcher, which is always cool to see.

Yeah, it wasn’t lining up to be a particularly good year for the Pioneers, and things have started out about as poorly as could be. After a 7-2 win at North Florida in their season opener, Sacred Heart has proceeded to lose five straight against North Florida and ETSU, surrendering double-digit runs in each game while being outscored by a combined 75-16. Yikes.

Collectively, the team is hitting a woeful .176/.278/.294, 7 2B, 5 hr, 10.2 BB%, 35.7 K%, 4-6 SB. No, that strikeout rate is not a typo. They’re six games in and the Pioneers have three players with double-digit strikeouts. There’s only one player on the team with more walks than strikeouts, and he has 1 plate appearance on the year.

The pitching staff has a collective 12.14 ERA with matching 11.5% walk and strikeout rates. Of the ten pitchers with more than 1.0 IP on the season, only two have an ERA below 7.00, which is never a good thing at any point of the season.

Pitching Matchups

Friday: LHP Ryan Marohn (JR) vs RHP Bryan Matuschat (SO)

Saturday: RHP Jacob Dudan (JR) vs RHP Ryan Parker (rSR)

Sunday: LHP Cooper Consiglio (JR) vs RHP Anakin Underhill (FR)

Key Players:

Offense

SS Gavin Donohue (JR) – .143/.250/.333, 1 2B, 1 HR, 8.3 BB%, 41.7 K%, 0-0 SB. Top returning batter from last year when he hit .327/.397/.520, 12 2B, 7 HR, 10.3 BB%, 16.6 K%, 11-13 SB. Has started every game of his Sacred Heart career.

LF J.W. Fitzgerald (SR) – .368/.409/.421, 1 2B, 0 HR, 9.1 BB%, 18.2 K%, 1-2 SB. The lefty is in his second year as a full-time starter, although he did start 8 of 11 games begin the 2024 season before missing the rest of the year due to injury. Hit .257/.364/.284, 3 2B, 0 HR, 9.9 BB%, 24.4 K%, 21-23 SB last year.

CF Peter Link (JR) – .087/.192/.217, 0 2B, 1 HR, 7.7 BB%, 34.6 K%, 1-1 SB. The 6’7, 235 lbs righty has 84 career starts under his belt and hit .288/.418/.475, 9 2B, 6 HR, 14.5 BB%, 24.0 K%, 23-25 SB last year. That’s an impressive base stealing number for anyone, let alone a guy in a 6’7 frame.

Pitching

RHP Bryan Matuschat (SO) – 1-1, 5.11 ERA, 12.1 IP, 5.8 BB%, 9.6 K%. Started 4 games among 9 appearances as a freshman last year (0-1, 2 SV, 6.65 ERA, 21.2 IP, 8.3 BB%, 10.4 K%). Pitched well in the season opener, going 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Gave up 3 HR in his last start, though, which ended up with 5 ER allowed to ETSU.

RHP Ryan Parker (rSR) – 0-2, 9.82 ERA, 7.1 IP, 11.6 BB%, 7.0 K%. In his second year with Sacred Heart after spending his first two collegiate years at D3 Bethel University. Started 14 of 15 appearances last year (3-4, 6.82 ERA, 60.2 IP, 11.1 BB%, 12.2 K%).

RHP Anakin Underhill (FR) – 0-0, 33.75 ERA, 1.1 IP, 18.2 BB%, 9.1 K%. Big 6’7, 230 lbs true freshman from New Hampshire where he was an all-state player in baseball, basketball, and football. Gave up 2 home runs in his debut against North Florida back on Valentine’s Day.

RHP Mitch Hawkins (SR) – 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 5.0 BB%, 25.0 K%. Top returning reliever for the Pioneers who has 55 career appearances and 121.1 career innings under his belt.

Quick! Fun Facts!

Of the 13 teams in the MAAC, only one currently has a winning record: 3-0 Rider.

Friday will mark the second ever meeting between NC State and Sacred Heart. The first came in 2012, a 16-5 Wolfpack win.

That 2012 season was in the midst of three NCAA Regional appearances over a five year span for the Pioneers (2011, 2012, 2015). The other NCAA Regional appearance in Sacred Heart program history came in 2006.

Sacred Heart transitioned up to the D1 level ahead of the 2000 season. The 1976 and 1992 Pioneer teams made the DII College World Series.

The team may not be good on the field, but it’s excellent in the Name department. Kyle Cincinnati, Will Cook, Peter Link, Steak Newman (STEAK NEWMAN!), Daniel Rice III, Will Saxenmeyer, Chuck Tallman, Anakin Underhill, Graham Willerer.

The Key To A Series Win For State

Pitchers put the ball in the zone and batters attack fastballs at the plate.

Prediction

What are we even doing with this non-conference schedule?

Outcome: State sweeps