Friday postponed; Bryant and Radford play doubleheader Saturday (1p)

**Friday's game between Bryant and Radford has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. Game one will begin at 1pm with game two following 30 minutes after**

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team begins its annual spring trip on Saturday, March 8 with a three-game series against Radford at the RU Baseball Stadium.

The Bulldogs (2-4) and the Highlanders (7-6) will be meeting for the second time in program history. Radford took 2-of-3 from Bryant back in 2012, winning the final two games by a combined score of 21-5.

Two years ago, the Bulldogs used a three-run first inning to defeat current Colorado Rockies right-hander Eddie Butler in game one of the three-game series. Radford rallied to win game two 11-6 before earning a 10-0 victory in the series finale. Then-freshman John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) hit his first-career home run and drove in a career-high four runs in game two of the series.

Bryant is coming off a series victory over USC Upstate last weekend and will play eight games in the next 10 days. The Bulldogs' offense came to live against the Spartans, plating 41 runs in the three games, including 21 in the series finale on Sunday. Bryant scored 14 runs in the seventh inning in that contest and set an NCAA record for most hits in the seventh inning with 15. Junior Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) and freshman Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) both enjoyed outstanding weekends, collecting Northeast Conference Player and Rookie of the Week honors. St. George hit .636 with three doubles, three RBI and six runs scored, while Albanese hit .500 with his first-career home run, seven RBI and five runs scored. Sophomore Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) is also enjoying a fine start to his second season in Smithfield. Bryant's starting shortstop, Cellucci reached base five times on Sunday at USC Upstate and has hit safely in each of the last five games. He's hitting .421 with four doubles, three RBI and five runs scored.

On the mound, senior Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) and junior Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) will be looking for better results against the Highlanders the second time through. Schlitter allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits over five innings in game three against Radford two years ago. It marked just one of the 11 times in his 39 career starts that he has allowed more than three runs in a start. McAvoy allowed three runs on six hits over three innings of relief in his first outing against the Highlanders. Both are coming off of dominant six-inning outings a week ago at USC Upstate. Schlitter allowed two runs on five hits and McAvoy limited the Spartans to two runs on five hits and struck out five.

Radford enters the weekend at the tail end of its eight-game homestand, having won each of the first five games. The Highlanders swept Siena last weekend and took both games of a doubleheader with Temple on Wednesday. Alexander Lee is hitting .444 with five doubles, seven RBI and nine runs scored to pace the offense. Patrick Marshall and Hunter Higgerson are tied for the team lead with two home runs apiece. Dylan Nelson is the ace for Radford, posting a 3-0 record and a 1.77 ERA in three starts this season. He has allowed just nine hits and has struck out 17 in 20.1 innings. Bryant will also see Michael Boyle (0-2, 8.74 ERA) and Ryan Meisinger (1-0, 3.07).

Following three games with Radford, Bryant will travel to Greensboro, N.C., for a pair of games with North Carolina A&T on Tuesday and Wednesday.