Bryant hosts UML in key America East series

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant baseball team wraps up a seven-game homestand this weekend as it welcomes UMass Lowell to Conaty Park for a key America East series. Bryant and UML open the series on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

The Bulldogs enter the weekend in first place in the AE with an 11-1 record, while UML is in third at 6-5.   

The Particulars
Opponent: UMass Lowell
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Friday, April 19 - 3:00 PM | Saturday, April 20 - 1:00 PM | Sunday, April 21 - 1:00 PM
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Video: Friday (ESPN+) | Saturday (AE.tv) | Sunday (ESPN+)
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEBASE  

Probable Starting Pitchers 

Austin Wainer vs. Brendan Williams
Luke Delongchamp vs. Alfred Mucciarone
Tyler Horvat vs. Miles Cota

• Bryant will roll out the same rotation for the 10th-straight weekend as Wainer, Delongchamp and Horvat get the ball.
• Wainer has posted a 2-0 record and a 2.52 ERA in four America East starts this season. The righty has gone at least 6.0 innings in all four starts. Wainer allowed one unearned run on four hits over 6.0 innings last week.
• Delongchamp has dazzled in league play, entering with a 0.86 ERA in four AE starts. He has struck out 22 and walked just four. Delongchamp also leads the league in overall ERA, posting a 2.54 ERA.
• Horvat is the reigning AE Pitcher of the Week thanks to a complete game effort last Sunday. He has thrown at least 7.0 innings in each of his last five starts, the longest stretch for a Bulldog since Kevin McAvoy in 2014. On the year, he is 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 52.1 innings.
• Williams leads the staff in innings pitched, going 6.0 innings in two of his three AE starts. He struck out a season-high eight vs NJIT.
• Mucciarone allowed eight runs over 3.1 innings last week vs Maine. He dominated against NJIT on Mar. 31, striking out seven and allowing just one run over 6.1 innings. 
• Cota has locked down Sundays for the River Hawks, posting a 3.86 ERA in 32.2 innings. He has allowed three runs or less in each of his last four starts.

Bryant vs. UMass Lowell

• UML owns a 34-15 lead in the all-time series with Bryant. The River Hawks have won each of the last six DI meetings, holding a 6-4 record. 
• Last season, the River Hawks won all four meetings, sweeping the regular season series before eliminating the Bulldogs in a single-elimination playoff game.
• Bryant's last win over UML came in 2016. 

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters the weekend 23-11 overall and 11-1 in the America East. The Black and Gold are 22-4 since starting the year 1-7. Bryant has won each of its last six weekend series and has swept three-straight America East series. 
• The Black and Gold are now 15-3 at home this season and 112-26 (81 percent) at home since the start of the 2017 season.
• Bryant enters the weekend ranked fourth in the league in hitting (.265) and first in ERA at 5.02. Bryant pitchers have struck out a league-high 257 batters. 
• Offensively, the Bulldogs lead the league in home runs (46), slugging (.462) and first in stolen bases (38). 
• Carmine Petosa has reached safely in all 34 games this season and his on-base streak sits at 37 dating back to last year. The streak is the longest by a Bulldog since Chris Wright reached safely in 42-straight in 2019. Petosa is hitting .292 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 34 runs scored and a .467 OBP.
• Gavin Noriega has reached safely in all but one game this season and enters the weekend leading the league in average (.350), slugging (.756), OBP (.488), OPS (1.244), runs scored (36), RBI (37) and home runs (13). Noriega's 13 home runs are tied for the most in a single season in DI program history (Ryan Ward, 2019).
• Noriega is hitting .364 with four home runs and 14 RBI in league play.
• Zac Zyons brings a 14-game on-base streak into the weekend. He has seven multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games over his last 11. In league play, Zyons is hitting .422 with 14 RBI, a .711 slugging% and an OPS of 1.191 OPS.
• Zach Nichols leads the league with eight saves. He ranks fourth nationally. 

Scouting the River Hawks

• UML enters the weekend 15-19 overall and 6-5 in the league. 
• The River Hawks are hitting a league-best .279 and have a 7.13 ERA. 
• UML has posted series victories over Binghamton and Maine the last two weekends.
• Carlos Martinez leads the way with a .336 average, 18 doubles, four home runs, 27 RBI and 23 runs scored.
• Alex Luccini has 11 doubles and a team-best seven home runs.
• Bryant alum Dan Cellucci '16 will also return to Conaty Park this weekend as an assistant coach with UML. Cellucci was a part of three NEC Championship teams in 2013, 2014 and 2016, posting 143 hits in 185 career games. He ranks third in DI program history with 442 career assists.