IMMACULATA, Pa. - The fourth-seeded Immaculata University baseball team opens play in the first-ever Atlantic East Conference Baseball Tournament Friday afternoon at top-seeded, and pool play host, Cabrini. The Macs open up with sixth-seeded Wesley at 12:30 p.m. before taking on the Cavaliers immediately after at 4 p.m., needing at least one win to move on to Sunday.

ATLANTIC EAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP POD
#1 Cabrini | #4 Immaculata | #6 Wesley
Friday, May 3 - Saturday, May 4
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
SCHEDULE
Friday, May 3
9 a.m. Wesley vs. Cabrini
12:30 p.m. Immaculata vs. Wesley
4 p.m. Cabrini vs. Immaculata
 
Saturday, May 4
If three teams remain…
11 a.m. Wesley vs. Immaculata
2 p.m. Winner vs. Cabrini
 
If two teams remain…
11 a.m. 2-0 team vs. 1-1 team
2 p.m. If necessary

NEWS & NOTES
-The Mighty Macs enter the Atlantic East tournament with a 2-0 record over Wesley on the season, but are winless in three matchups with Cabrini - all on the road. IU racked up 16 runs in its regular season doubleheader with the Wolverines for the regular season sweep, but only managed to plate ten runs in its three games against the Cavaliers.
-IU finished the 2019 season 7-8 in road games and 6-2 in neutral site contests.
-The Macs are 17-1 this season when leading after six innings and 15-5 when scoring first, both of which will be keys to advancing to the championship round next weekend.
-Immaculata enters the opening weekend of the conference tournament with the second-best team batting average on the year at .305 (338-1108), trailing only second-seeded Gwynedd Mercy (.324). The Macs' team on-base percentage of .417 also ranks second. In 12 conference games on the year, the Macs hit .313 (118-377) with 36 extra-base hits - 27 of which were doubles.
-The Mighty Mac lineup consists of four players in the top-15 in the conference batting leaders, including Corey Pezak (.379, 5th), Tyler Kmiec (.376, 8th), Tom Prato (.353, 13th) and Joey Sacco (.341, 15th). Kmiec (.510) and Pezak .488) also rank third and fourth, respectively, among the conference's on-base percentage leaders.
-Prato's 45 runs batted in - which set a single-season program record this year - is tops in the Atlantic East Conference this season, doing so in 34 games.
-Domenic Dellabarba has put together a fine season since taking over the starting center fielder role for the Macs, ranking second in the Atlantic East in stolen bases (16) and tied for seventh in doubles (10).
-Senior left-hander Billy Manzo figures to make a start in at least one of the pool play games this weekend, and he comes into the tournament ranking second in the Atlantic East in both innings pitched (52.1) and strikouts (46) while coming in at fourth in wins (5). Manzo also leads the league in strikouts looking with 16.
-Despite moving into the starting rotation recently for the Macs, senior Zach Smiley's four saves are good for second in the Atlantic East to go along with his team-leading 3.26 ERA.