This Week In Viking Sports 3/18 - 3/24

Salem State's podcast, Biking Sports Today, discussed highlights from the past week, including the achievements of Ryan Barbieri and Cam Fisher in baseball, Edward Field's game-winning hit, and the victories and losses of various teams. They also mentioned the successful 5th Annual Generation Games event. They previewed upcoming games for baseball, tennis, softball, and lacrosse. The Athlete of the Week was Yaddy Gonzalvez for his impressive performance in baseball. Hello, and welcome to Salem State's podcast, Biking Sports Today, Exploring Salem State Sports. We are producing this podcast under the direction of Dr. Casey Bloom and the Recreation, Outdoor, and Event Management concentration in the Sport and Movement Science department at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts. Starting off with our highlights from this past week, we first would like to congratulate Ryan Barbieri, a first-year criminal justice major and designated hitter on the men's baseball team, who was named MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the week of March 11th, during which he went 8-for-12 with a homerun in 8 RBIs. We would also like to congratulate Cam Fisher, a first-year exercise science major and pitcher on the men's baseball team, who was also named the MASCAC Pitcher of the Week for this week of March 11th, during which he pitched a complete game, 5-hit shutout, and a win over Sunny Canton. Moving forward, on Tuesday, March 19th, Edward Field delivered a 2-out RBI base hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Salem State an 8-7 victory over Wentworth at the Central Campus Baseball Field. The Vikings improved to 6 wins and 3 losses on the season, while the Leopards sinked to 10 wins and 4 losses. Salem State pitcher Jake Belcher also pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit while striking out three batters. Also, on Tuesday, March 19th, Salem State women's lacrosse welcomed the Northeasters from the University of New England for a non-conference bout. The Nor'easters' high-powered offense guided them to a 17-4 victory over the Vikings. The Vikings now dropped to 1 win and 6 losses on the season. On Wednesday, March 20th, Timothy Eddings scored 5 goals to secure a 12-9 victory over Thomas College at Smith Field in Waterville, Maine. The Vikings improved to 5 wins and 2 losses on the season. On Thursday, March 21st, Yadi Gonzalez went 4-for-4 with two extra base hits and one run batted in as Salem State extended their winning streak to 6 straight with an 8-4 victory over rival Gordon College. The Vikings improved their record to 7 wins and 3 losses, while the Fighting Scots dropped to 3 wins and 12 losses. On Friday, March 22nd, Salem State's softball team welcomed the Buccaneers from Massachusetts Maritime Academy for their first Mascot Doubleheader of the season. The Vikings came from behind in both games to seal the walk-off victories 7-6 and 6-5 and increased their record to 4 wins and 6 losses overall and 2 wins and 0 losses in the conference play. On Saturday, March 23rd, Salem State men's tennis team opened the 2024 season with a 9-0 loss to Wentworth at the Bass River Tennis Club. The Leopards improved to 4 wins and 5 losses on the season, while the Vikings stand at 0 wins and 1 loss. Also, on Saturday, March 23rd, Brayden McLean and Zach Mann each recorded 5 goals apiece to lead UMass Boston to a 32-6 Little East Conference victory over Salem State at Alumni Field. The Beacons improved to 6 wins and 2 losses, while the Vikings dropped to 4 wins and 3 losses. Furthermore, this past Saturday, Salem State University and Salem State Parks and Recreation Department hosted the 5th Annual Generation Games. The Generation Games is an intergenerational worldwide community sports event that allows people of all ages and abilities to participate and experience new and traditional sports. We would like to give a heartfelt shout-out and recognition to Dr. Casey Bloom, Kyle Medeiros, and everyone else who participated in making this event a success, for their exceptional leadership and dedication in overseeing the entire event from top to bottom. Thank you for ensuring a safe, fun, and memorable experience for all participants. We are truly grateful for your leadership and contributions. Now it's time to discuss what games we should look out for this upcoming week. On Tuesday, March 26th, the Salem State Men's Baseball Team will take on King State at 330 at the Central Campus Baseball Field. The Salem State Men's Tennis Team will take on the Blue Jays at St. Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut on Tuesday, March 26th at 330. Moving forward, on Tuesday, March 26th, the Salem State Softball Team will take on the Pilgrims of New England College for a doubleheader at Alumni Field at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Wednesday, March 27th, the Salem State Men's Lacrosse Team will be taking on Elms College at Leary Field at 7 p.m. Finally, on Friday, March 29th, the Salem State Softball Team will take on Pittsburgh State for a doubleheader away at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The Salem State Men's Baseball Team will also be taking on Pittsburgh State at 330 at home. Now it's time to announce our Athlete of the Week for this week's episode. Our Athlete of the Week is freshman Yaddy Gonzalvez. Gonzalvez was named MassAC Rookie of the Week after batting .556 with two doubles, two RBIs, three runs scored, a walk, and a .636 on-base percentage and .778 slugging percentage in a 2-0 week for the Vikings. He went 4-4 with two doubles and an RBI and an 8-4 win over Gordon. Gonzalvez added a hit RBI and a run scored and an 8-7 win over Wentworth. Congratulations! This is a well-deserved honor that acknowledges your outstanding performance, dedication, and commitment to your sport. Thank you guys for joining us on this week's episode discussing this week in Viking sports. We hope to see you guys on our next episode.