Bryant opens 2024 season on Friday at UCF

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens its 2024 season in Orlando, Fla., against Big 12 foe UCF. Bryant and UCF open the three-game set on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6:00 p.m.  

The Particulars
Opponent: UCF
Location: John Euliano Park (Orlando, Fla.)
Date and Time: Friday, Feb. 16 - 6:00 p.m. | Saturday, Feb 17 - 6:00 p.m. | Sunday, Feb 18 - 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Video: Friday Only
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEBASE  

Probable Starting Pitchers 

Friday - Austin Wainer vs. Ben Vespi
Saturday - Luke Delongchamp vs. Tyler Nesbitt
Sunday - Tyler Horvat vs. Dom Stagliano

• Austin Wainer will headline a revamped weekend rotation, getting the ball on Opening Day for the first time in his career. Friday will mark only the fourth start of Wainer's career as a Bulldog. 
• Wainer has been one of Bryant's top relief arms over the last three years, appearing in 43 games and going 3-4 with a 3.91 career ERA. The longest of his three career starts was his first back in 2021 when he tossed 4.0 scoreless innings at Northeastern.
• Luke Delongchamp is scheduled to make his Bryant debut on Saturday after transferring in from Boston College. He appeared in 14 games (8 starts) in two years with the Eagles. Delongchamp served as one of BC's primary midweek starters, going 2-2. The longest start of his career was 5.2 innings of two-run ball vs Sacred Heart. 
• Tyler Horvat will make his Bryant debut in the series finale on Sunday. Horvat joins the Bulldogs after a marvelous career at Division III Washington & Jefferson. He was named the DIII Baseball Student-Athlete of the Year in 2023 and posted a career record of 29-4 as a two-way player. 
• Bryant will face a weekend rotation for UCF that features two veterans (Vespi and Stagliano) and a transfer from the University of Florida (Nesbitt). 
• Vespi owns a 9-7 record and a 3.83 ERA in 60 appearances (15 starts), while striking out 147 in 143.1 innings.
• Nesbitt is a graduate transfer from Florida that helped the Gators to a runner-up finish at the 2023 College World Series. He is 4-3 with a 3.25 ERA in his collegiate career.
• Stagliano went 4-5 with a 6.54 ERA in 19 appearances (8 starts) last year. He struck out 70 on the season. 

Bryant vs. UCF

• Bryant and UCF will be meeting for the first time in program history. 
• The two programs are linked, however, by Bryant head coach Ryan Klosterman. 
• Klosterman spent eight seasons at UCF before taking over as the head coach of the Bulldogs in July of 2019.  

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters its fifth season under head coach Ryan Klosterman in 2024. The Bulldogs went 26-24 overall and 12-12 in league play last season, their first in the America East. 
• The Black and Gold will have to replace two of its top offensive players and will feature a revamped weekend rotation. 
• Offensively, Carmine Petosa, Gavin Noriega, Jackson Phinney and Lewis Barnum return as veteran bats. Petosa hit eight home runs and drove in 37 last year, while Phinney had six home runs and 22 RBI. 
• Barnum had a breakout year in 2023, hitting .281 with 16 extra-base hits, 35 RBI and 31 runs scored as Bryant's primary DH. 
• The Black and Gold also welcome back starting shortstop Justin Hackett (.267, 3HR, 10RBI), utility superstar Zac Zyons (.293, 12 XBH, 35 R) and veteran outfielder Matt Smith (.265, 2 HR, 5 SB). 
• On the mound, the Bulldogs will have to replace all three weekend starters from a year ago. In total, Bryant lost five of its top six pitchers in terms of innings pitched from a year ago. 
• Liam LeVangie (48 app, 3-5, 5.61 ERA) returns as the most veteran of the group.
• Bryant will look to a core group of returners to take the next step; Tyler Tornberg, Toby Scheidt, Mark Scamardella, M.T. Morrissey, Ryan Bradley and Kaden Hilburger.