Bryant hosts UMBC in key America East series

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – It's just the second conference weekend of the season but this weekend's series between the Bryant baseball team and UMBC is a marquee matchup. The opening game of three-game series is set for Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at Conaty Park.

Bryant will enter the weekend with a 2-1 record in league play, while UMBC is coming off a commanding sweep of preseason favorite Binghamton. This weekend marks the first of two series between the schools as they'll meet in Baltimore to close out the regular season in May.

This weekend's series will follow a different format than normal due to the Easter holiday on Sunday. Bryant and UMBC will play Friday afternoon and then wrap up the series with a doubleheader (two 9 inning games) on Saturday starting at 12:00 p.m.   

The Particulars
Opponent: UMBC
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Friday, March 29 - 3:00 p.m. | Saturday, March 30 - 12:00 p.m. | Saturday, March 30 - Approx. 30 min after
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Video: AmericaEast.tv
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEBASE  

Probable Starting Pitchers 

Game 1 - Austin Wainer vs. Luke Johnson
Game 2 - Luke Delongchamp vs. Jayden Shertel
Game 3 - Tyler Horvat vs. Sam Downs

• Bryant has found consistency in its weekend rotation as Wainer, Delongchamp and Horvat get the ball for a seventh-consecutive weekend. 
• Wainer delivered the longest outing of his career last week vs Maine, allowing one run on five hits over 6.0 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Wainer is now 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 25.2 innings.
• Delongchamp continued his string of success with 4.0 innings of one-run ball vs the Black Bears. He's allowed two runs on eight hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts over his last 11.0 innings.
• Horvat took a tough-luck loss in the series finale vs Maine, allowing one run in a 9.0 inning complete-game effort. He's allowed just three runs over his last two starts (17.0 innings) and has a 4.91 ERA in 29.1 innings.
• UMBC will send the reigning America East Pitcher of the Year, Luke Johnson, to the mound in game one. Johnson went 7-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 79.0 innings. This season, he is 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA and 36 Ks in 30.1 innings.
• Last week, Johnson struck out nine in a two-hit, complete-game shutout of Binghamton. 
• Jayden Shertel and Sam Downs will pitch game two and game three. Shertel owns a team-best 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings, while Downs 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA in 27.1 innings.

Bryant vs. UMBC

• Bryant and UMBC are meeting for the second time in school history. The Bulldogs took 2-of-3 last season in Smithfield.
• UMBC won the opener, 6-5, behind an 11-strikeout performance by Johnson and a five-run sixth inning. The Black and Gold rebounded to win the series with 7-3 and 8-5 victories.
• In game two, Brett Wichrowski struck out nine over 5.0 scoreless. In game three, Bryant's bullpen combined to allow just two runs in 5.0 innings of work.  

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters the weekend 12-10 overall following a midweek victory over Merrimack. The Bulldogs are 2-1 in America East play thanks to a series victory over Maine last weekend.
• With Tuesday's come-from-behind win at Merrimack, Bryant has now won six games when trailing in the seventh inning or later this season.
• The Black and Gold are hitting .239 as a team and own a 5.84 team ERA. Bryant ranks 2nd to last in the league in average but are 2nd in ERA. 
• Carmine Petosa and Gavin Noriega will take long on-base streaks into the weekend as both have reached in all 22 games.
• Noriega hit his team-leading eighth homer on Tuesday and ranks in the top five in the America East in average (5th, .329), slugging (1st, .696), OBP (2nd, .476), OPS (1st, 1.172), runs (3rd, 21), hits (4th, 26), RBI (2nd, 22) and home runs (T-1st, 8).
• Brandyn Durand has hit safely in each of his last seven games and is hitting .385 (10-26) with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI over his last eight. On Tuesday, Durand hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth.

Scouting the Retrievers

• UMBC enters 10-11 overall and 3-0 in America East. The Retrievers have won eight straight, including a three-game sweep of Binghamton last weekend.
• UMBC ranks first in the league in ERA (5.50), second in average (.260) and first in OBP (.395).
• The Retrievers are led by Matt Ryan who is hitting .347 with a .515 OBP. He has 10 doubles and a league-best 22 walks. 
• Aaron Swenda leads the team with 19 RBI and 23 runs scored.