Bryant opens home slate with UML today at 3p

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens its home schedule this afternoon (Mar. 25) as it hosts former NE-10 rival UMass Lowell at Conaty Park. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

The Bulldogs (10-8) and RiverHawks (8-6) will renew an old rivalry on Tuesday as they meet for the first time since the 2009 season. Since 2003, UML holds a 13-9 record over the Black and Gold but Bryant has won the last four meetings.

Bryant is playing some of its best baseball of the season right now, having won seven of its last nine games. The Bulldogs went 4-1 last week against CAA schools, defeating Northeastern on Wednesday before taking 3-of-4 from Delaware last weekend. Bryant's offense exploded, hitting 11 home runs over the five games, pushing its season total to 17. They hit at least one home run in all five games and clobbered a school record five in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. The Black and Gold are now ninth in the country in home runs per game (0.94) and 16th in total home runs.

Leading the offensive charge is current Northeast Conference Player of the Week John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.). The third-year Bulldog hit .632 (12-for-19) last week and is hitting .429 (21-for-49) with three doubles, three home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored in his last 12 games. Senior Tom Gavitt (North Stonington, Conn.) has also enjoyed a renaissance at the plate this spring and is hitting .480 with two doubles, three triples, two home runs and eight RBI in his last eight games. His .806 slugging percentage currently leads the team and he has also posted a .436 on-base percentage.

The Bulldogs will hand the ball to one of their hottest pitchers Tuesday, senior Vaughn Hayward (Glendale, R.I.). The veteran right-hander is currently working on a 17-inning scoreless skein dating back to his first start of the season at Maryland. He's recorded back-to-back scoreless starts and brings a 2-1 record and a 1.50 ERA into the mid-week start. Hayward has allowed just 13 hits in 18 innings, holding opponents to a .203 batting average.

UMass Lowell is in its first year of transition from DII to DI but is enjoying great success on the baseball diamond. A new member of the America East, the RiverHawks have already defeated reigning champion Binghamton twice and also picked up wins over Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. Danny Mendick is hitting .340 with three doubles, nine RBI and eight runs scored for an offense that is hitting just .245 as a whole. Jimmy Ricoy leads the team with five doubles and 10 runs scored.

Raz Bracha will make the second start of his career on Tuesday and is looking for a repeat performance from last week. Against Yale, Bracha tossed six no-hit innings and the RiverHawks bullpen complete the no-hitter but the Elis pulled out a 1-0 victory. Bracha has allowed just seven hits in 11.1 innings and has struck out six and walked four.

Bryant will continue its six-game homestand this weekend as it hosts Albany in a four-game series starting on Friday.