VILLANOVA, Pa. – With four wins in its last five games after falling to Butler in BIG EAST action on Sunday, Villanova looks to get back on track as it steps back into non-conference action with a 3 p.m. visit from Bucknell on Tuesday at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.

Over the past week's four games, Villanova (11-16-1) outscored its opponents 26-18 but fell behind in hits by a slim 33-34 margin. The Wildcats are currently on a five-game winning streak outside of the league action since the end of March, starting with a series at Richmond that they swept. In that time, they have run up a 55-25 scoring advantage.

This will be the 35^th meeting all-time against Bucknell (14-16) with Villanova holding a 24-10 lead in the series that dates back to 1899. The 'Cats have won four of the last five meetings and are on a three-game winning streak against the Bison. When playing on the home turf, Villanova enjoys an 11-4 advantage. The last home win for the Wildcats against Bucknell came on March 6, 2010 with Villanova winning 6-5. They have dropped two-in-a-row at home to the Bison, falling 5-10 on March 26, 2019 and 2-3 on March 8, 2011.

Home Sweet Home: This contest wraps up a five-game homestand for the Wildcats after playing 11 straight on the road. Villanova is currently 5-2 on the home field this season, winning three of the last five. The 'Cats have crossed home with 45 runs while holding its opponents to 28 runs.

Joey Bats: Joey Castellanos currently leads the team with a 13-game hitting streak on the year. In that time, he is batting .431 with 25 hits in 58 at-bats and one walk, racking up four doubles and three home runs with 14 RBI. He holds the second-best batting average on the team this season at .336.

First Shutout of the Season: Villanova had its first shutout of the year last week with a 4-0 win over Lafayette. Chic DeGaetano and Devin Rivera combined for the shutout, allowing just two hits with one walk, plunking two and sitting down 11 of the 32 Leopards they faced, 10 of those by DeGaetano in the seven innings he pitched.

Scouting the Bison: Bucknell comes to Villanova Ballpark after winning its weekend Patriot League series against Lafayette, the last non-conference side that Villanova faced. The Bison have gone 4-11 in non-conference games this season, losing four of their last five such games. Chris Cannizzaro and Anthony Sherwin have been the leading bats for the Bison, with .348 and .339 averages, respectively. Sherwin has connected on 39 hits the season with nine doubles and a pair of triples while Cannizzaro has reached base in a team-high 14 consecutive games. Grant Voytovich has batted in the most runs with 24, collecting seven multi-RBI games this season. On the mound, Will Greer is leading the team with a 2.65 era in eight starting appearances and a 5-0 record in 54 1/3 innings pitched, throwing two complete games. He has allowed 18 runs, 16 earned, on 44 hits with 15 walks and fanning a team-best 30 batters.