Bryant travels to LIU Brooklyn this weekend; Series altered due to weather

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team returns to Northeast Conference play this weekend as it travels to Brooklyn for a four-game series with league-leading LIU Brooklyn.

**This weekend's series has been altered due to weather. The teams will now play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 1:00 p.m. The remaining two games of the series will be played on Saturday and Sunday depending on weather conditions.**

The Particulars

Opponent: LIU Brooklyn

Location: LIU Field (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Times: 1 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | TBA | 1:00 p.m.

Live Stats: Sidearm

Video: NECFrontRow

Game Notes: Bryant | LIU Brooklyn

Pitching Probables

Friday (Gm 1) – Steve Theetge (1-6, 5.66) vs. Patrick Clyne (3-2, 4.32)

Friday (Gm 2) – Tyler Mattison (1-1, 6.00) vs. Zach Pederson (4-1, 3.06)

Game 3 – Vito Morgese (2-1, 5.05) vs. Cory Hart (2-0, 4.50)

Game 4 – Craig Lacey (2-1, 3.68) vs. TBA

Due to the altered series, Bryant's weekend rotation will look a little different. Junior Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) will open the series and be followed by freshman Tyler Mattison (Fort Ann, N.Y.), sophomore Vito Morgese (Warwick, N.Y.) and junior Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.). Theetge earned his first win of the year with seven innings of two-run ball last week, while Mattison will be making his first-career NEC start. Morgese has allowed one earned run or less in three of his last four starts, while Lacey will be making his first start of the year. He has limited opponents to a .160 batting average.

LIU Brooklyn will counter with Patrick Clyne, Zach Pederson and Cory Hart. Clyne leads the NEC with 44 strikeouts after fanning 14 FDU hitters last week. Pederson, a JUCO transfer, leads the NEC in ERA and is tied for the league lead in wins. Hart allowed made two relief appearances against Bryant last year, allowing four runs.

Series History

• Bryant owns a 28-11 record against LIU Brooklyn. That includes 37 regular-season meetings and two NEC Tournament meetings.
• The Bulldogs own a 6-1-2 series record against the Blackbirds. LIU's only series victory came in 2011 in Smithfield.
• Last season, Bryant won three-of-four against LIU Brooklyn, clinching the series with a wild 13-11 come-from-behind victory on Easter Sunday.   

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• The Bulldogs enter Wednesday's game with an overall record of 11-13 and an NEC record of 3-3. Bryant won three of its four games last week, winning 2-of-3 against Mount St. Mary's last weekend.
• Bryant finished the month of March with an 11-7 record.
• Redshirt freshman Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) leads the Bulldogs with a .382 batting average and was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the third time on Monday.
• He has also posted six doubles, four triples, four home runs, 20 RBI and 17 runs scored.
• Ward has hit safely in 10 straight games and has reached safely in each of his last 20. He's hitting .524 (22-42) with three doubles, four triples, three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored during the 10-game hitting streak.
• Senior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) and sophomores James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) and Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) are the other three Bulldogs hitting over .300. Gasper is hitting .301 with a .411 OBP, Ciliento is batting .356 with 15 runs scored and Cruz is also hitting .356 and has 10 RBI in just 12 starts.
• Redshirt junior Justin Snyder (Georgetown, Mass.) was named an NEC Prime Performer on Monday after recording two scoreless appearances last week. He struck out five in four innings of work and has worked three-straight scoreless outings.
• In NEC play, Bryant is hitting just .229 as a team. Ward leads the way with a .417 average, while junior Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) has posted a .435 OBP.

Scouting the Blackbirds

• LIU Brooklyn has won four straight and enters the weekend with a 14-10 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the NEC.
• The 5-1 start in league play is LIU's best since 2001. The Blackbirds are tied for first with Wagner.
• LIU is hitting .274 (3rd in NEC) as a team, have posted a 4.42 team ERA (1st in NEC) and a .978 fielding percentage (1st in NEC).
• Luis Arias leads the team with a .315 average and has five doubles, 15 RBI and 17 runs scored.
• Greg Vaughn Jr., the son of former Major Leaguer Greg Vaughn, is hitting .303 with five doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI and a team-leading 21 runs scored.
• Mike Kreiger, Jackson Svete and Baylor LaPointe form LIU's bullpen. The trio has appeared in 12, 11 and 14 games, respectively, and all have sub-3.00 ERAs.