Bulldogs face Musketeers in midweek tilt

Bulldogs face Musketeers in midweek tilt

SPRING BREAK TRIP CONTINUES WITH STOP AT XAVIER

GAME NOTES

LEADING OFF
The Bulldogs continue their eight-game spring break trip with a midweek tilt against A-10 opponent Xavier. Bryant enters the game fresh off a four-game sweep of Wright State and Dayton over the weekend, the first four wins of the year for the Black and Gold.

THE SERIES
Bryant and Xavier will be meeting for the first time on Tuesday afternoon at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio. The game was originally scheduled to be played on Xavier's campus but had to be moved off campus due to heavy rains on Monday.

SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS
Xavier has posted a 8-5 record on the year and is coming off its first series victory over the season last weekend. The Musketeers won two-of-three at Middle Tennessee State over the weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Xavier is hitting .290 as a team and has posted a 5.20 team ERA. Mark Elwell leads the team with a .438 average, seven doubles, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored. Brian Bruening has also scored 11 runs and has chipped in nine RBI on the year. Patrick Paligraf has five doubles and 10 RBI on the year. On the mound, Scott Klever will make his second start of the season against the Bulldogs. He is 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA, picking up his only win of the year at Charleston.

PERFECT WEEKEND
After dropping its first six games, the Bulldogs responded in a big way this past weekend by winning the first four games of its eight-game spring break trip. Bryant defeated Wright State on Friday and Sunday and swept Dayton in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Black and Gold pitching staff allowed just three runs on the weekend.

BROWN BECOMES BRYANT'S DI HITS LEADER
With a first-inning single on Friday against Wright State, Kevin Brown became Bryant's hits leader at the Division I level. The single represented the 205th hit of Brown's career, pushing him past former teammate Jamie Skagerlind. Brown finished the weekend with 212 career hits.

GAVITT BREAKS OUT OFFENSIVELY, NAMED NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tom Gavitt broke out of an early season slump to help the Bulldog offense find its footing this past weekend. He went 5-for-11 with a home run, six RBI and four runs scored, earning NEC Player of the Week honors. He drove in a run in each of the games he played in on the weekend, including four in Sunday's 12-0 victory over the Raiders. He scored the eventual winning run in each of the first two games of the weekend and produced his first home run as a Bulldog on Sunday. Gavitt also walked three times on Sunday, reaching base five times.

OFFENSE FINDS ITSELF IN DAYTON
Bryant's offense came to life in four games in Dayton this past weekend. After posting a .186 average over the first seven games, the Bulldogs posted a .303 team average to raise their season average to .232. Bryant posted a season-high 12 hits and seven runs on Friday and then reset them on Sunday with 12 runs on 18 hits against the Raiders. Bryant also hit five doubles and stole five bases on Sunday against Wright State.

PITCHING NEAR PERFECT ON WEEKEND
The Bulldogs got four outstanding starting pitching performances on the weekend as they won all four games. Bryant's four starters -- Pete Kelich, Kevin McAvoy, John Healy and Craig Schlitter -- combined to strike out 27 and issue just seven walks. In all, Bryant's pitching staff allowed just three runs over 38 innings, posting a 0.78 ERA.