Baseball opens play in Spider Invitational on Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens play in the Spider Invitational on Friday afternoon as it wraps up its spring break in Richmond, Virginia.    

The Particulars
Opponents: Richmond | Quinnipiac | Toledo
Location: Pitt Field (Richmond, Va.)
Date and Times: Mar. 15 – 2:00 p.m. | Mar. 16 – 10:00 a.m. | Mar. 17 – 10:00 a.m.
Watch: Friday (ESPN+)
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #TCD | #NECBASE

Pitching Probables
Friday – RHP Tyler Mattison (2-1, 6.75) vs. RHP Tim Miller (1-0, 2.84)
Saturday – LHP Steve Theetge (1-1, 1.09) vs. LHP Chris Enns (1-2, 6.75)
Sunday – LHP Vito Morgese (0-1, 5.00) vs. Layne Schnitz-Paxton (1-1, 4.22)

Bryant will go with the same starting rotation for the third-straight weekend. All three starters posted their best starts of the season last weekend as Mattison struck out a season-high six over five innings, Theetge struck out a career-high 11 in eight innings and Morgese worked a season-high seven innings. Theetge has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last seven starts dating back to last year.  

Series History

• Bryant will be facing Richmond for the first time since 2009. The Bulldogs took 2-of-3 from the Spiders in their first season as a Division I program.
• The Bulldogs and Bobcats will square off in the first of three meetings in 2019 on Saturday. Bryant has won 17-of-18 all-time meetings with Quinnipiac.
• Bryant and Toledo will be meeting for the first time in program history.   

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters the weekend at 8-6 overall and have won three-straight games for the first time this year.
• Eight of Bryant's last nine games have been decided by two runs or less. The Bulldogs are 6-3 during the stretch.
• Bryant's offense has been clicking in the last three games, registering 44 hits. The Bulldogs scored a season-high 12 runs on Wednesday at Wofford.
• The trio of junior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) and redshirt sophomores Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) and Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) have combined to go 23-for-47 with 13 RBI and 16 runs scored over the last three.
• Ciliento is 7-for-15 with eight runs scored in the last three and has homered twice on the spring break trip.
• Ward went 4-for-4 on Wednesday and is 8-for-17 with five RBI and five runs scored.
• Titus has recorded three-straight multi-hit games and is 8-for-15 with three RBI and three runs scored.   

Scouting the Spiders

• Richmond enters the week at 8-4 overall. The Spiders started the year 8-1 but have dropped three-straight, including a pair of midweek games against Virginia Tech.
• Four different players have driven in 10+ runs, with Anthony Forte's 16 tops on the team.
• The Spiders have a team ERA of 3.91.

Scouting the Bobcats

• Quinnipiac enters the week at 4-8 overall. The Bobcats are hitting .285 as a team and have a 6.86 team ERA.
• Colten Bender is hitting .405, while Evan Vulgamore has six doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI.

Scouting the Rockets

• Toledo enters the weekend at 7-8 overall. The Rockets opened the season by taking 2-of-3 from Winthrop.
• The Rockets are hitting .277 as a team and have a team ERA of 7.06.
• Five players have driven in 10+ runs, led by 14 from Chris Myers.

Up Next

The Bulldogs begin their northern schedule with a midweek contest at Hartford on Wednesday, March 18.