Today's Championship Delayed Until 2:15 p.m.; Baseball Can Advance to 2nd Career World Series with Sweep of Franklin Pierce Sunday; Both Games Broadcast Live Online

BRYANT BASEBALL

May 20, 2007

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BRYANT BASEBALL TWO WINS AWAY FROM REACH COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Bulldogs Must Beat #1 Franklin Pierce Twice Sunday 

Record: #5 Bryant 35-23 (21-9 Northeast-10) 
Date: May 20, 2007
Location: Rindge, N.H.
Stadium: Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field/Field Turf
Head Coach:  Bryant - Jamie Pinzino, 2nd year (53-54, 37-23 NE -10)
Radio: www.bryantbulldogs.com (Broadcasters: Pat Sullivan and Brad Davis) 
 
TODAY'S GAME:

After winning three straight games, including one where the Bulldogs were down to their last out, the Bryant baseball team can advance to their second career Division II. College World Series if they can sweep top-seed Franklin Pierce Sunday. Bryant defeated Wilmington 5-1 Friday behind Eric Loh's (Old Greenwich, CT) complete game and three hits from Mike Rocco (Tewksbury, Mass.). They edged Caldwell 3-2 in 10-innings, as Jeff Vigurs' (South Windsor, CT) two-out run-scoring single tied the game in the ninth, and then Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI) drilled a walk-off single in the tenth. In the nightcap, Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) hit his second homer of the season and drove home five runs, while Brent Almeida (Fairhaven, Mass.) fired a complete-game shutout as Bryant routed Adelphi 10-0.

2007 NCAA Division II Baseball Northeast Regional

Hosted by Franklin Pierce
Dr. Arthur & Martha Pappas Field
Rindge, N.H. - May 17-20

Thursday, May 17
Game 1: #6 Wilmington (29-18) 1 at #1 Franklin Pierce (45-9), 4
Game 2: #5 Bryant (32-22) 4 vs. #2 Adelphi (34-15), 5
Game 3: #4 Caldwell (24-13) 9 vs. #3 UMass Lowell (33-18), 4

Friday, May 18
Game 4: Wilmington 1 vs. Bryant 5 (Wilmington eliminated)
Game 5: Franklin Pierce 7 vs. UMass Lowell 4 (UMass Lowell eliminated)
Game 6: Adelphi 4 vs. Caldwell 0  

Saturday, May 19
Game 7: Franklin Pierce 7 vs. Adelphi 2
Game 8: Bryant 3 vs. Caldwell 2 (Caldwell eliminated)

Game 9: Bryant 10 vs. Adelphi, 0 (Adelphi eliminated)

Sunday, May 21
Game 10: Franklin Pierce vs. Bryant, 2 pm
Game 11: if Bryant wins, 30 mins upon conclusion of game 10

BRYANT IN THE NCAAS:
The Bulldogs are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. In 2004, Bryant advanced to the College World Series after winning the Northeast Regional as the top seed, finishing as the No. 6 ranked team nationally. This marks the fifth appearance in the NCAA Regionals for the Bulldogs with the other four coming in 1986, 1998, 2002, 2004.

BRYANT AGAINST THE FIELD
The Bulldogs faced two of the five teams in the Northeast Regional this season.
#1 Franklin Pierce: Bryant was 1-5 against the Ravens this season. They defeated the top seed 7-3 in the Northeast-10 Tournament, but the Ravens avenged the loss, sweeping the Bulldogs 4-2 and 4-3 in the championship games. On April 21, the Ravens edged Bryant by scores of 1-0 and 4-3 and completed the three-game sweep with a 7-1 victory on April 22. Eric Loh (Old Greenwich, CT), the Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year is 0-2 against the Ravens in two starts. He's allowed just three earned runs in 15 innings (1.80 ERA.). Freshman CF Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) has eight hits in 26 at-bats (.308) including four doubles and four RBIs.
#2 Adelphi: Bryant did not face Adelphi this season. The Panthers are 3-4 against the NE-10 this season. The Panthers last made the NCAAs in 2005.
#3 UMass-Lowell: The Bulldogs went 2-3 against the Riverhawks this season. They came back from 3-0 and 4-2 deficits to beat UML 5-4 in 14-innings in the NE-10 Tournament, behind six shutout innings of relief from Adam Vuolo (Walpole, Mass.). Loh threw 8.2 innings defeating them 3-1 earlier this season. Campbell leads all hitters with a .391 average (9-for-23) against UML, while Vuolo has 8.1 scoreless innings in three appearances. C Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, CT) has four RBIs and a .381 avg (8-for-21).
#4 Caldwell: Bryant last faced Caldwell in 2006 losing 8-3 in Smithfield, RI. Current senior Mike Rocco (Tewksbury, Mass.) had two RBIs in that game, while fellow classmate Mike Upton (Chelmsford, Mass.) got the start on the hill. He allowed five runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings. This is the second appearance for the Cougars (2004) in the NCAAs.
#6 Wilmington (DE): Bryant was scheduled to play a three-game set at Wilmington on March 16-17, but a late winter storm forced the cancellation of those games. Wilmington defeated Caldwell in the CACC Championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

2004 NCAA WORLD SERIES
The Bulldogs advanced to the 2004 College World Series by defeating Caldwell in the Northeast Regional Championship. The Cougars defeated Bryant in game one of the championship but Bryant avenged the loss coming back to win game two. In the World Series, the Bulldogs defeated Rollins 11-3, but lost to Grand Valley State 5-2 and Central Missouri 14-3, finishing ranked sixth nationally.

NORTHEAST-10 TOURNAMENT RECAP
Wednesday May 9 - Single Elimination
Game 1: #6 SCSU 2 at #3 Bryant 4 (SCSU eliminated)
Game 2: #5 Bentley 2 at #4 Pace 5 (Bentley eliminated)
Friday May 11 - Double Elimination at Lowell
Game 3: #3 Bryant 5 vs. #2 Lowell 4 (14 innings)
Game 4: #4 Pace 6 vs #1 Franklin Pierce 7
Saturday May 12 at Lowell
Game 5: #2 Lowell 0 vs. #4 Pace 4 (UMass Lowell eliminated)
Game 6:#3 Bryant 7 vs. #1 Franklin Pierce 4
Game 7: #4 Pace 1 vs. #1 Franklin Pierce 5 (Pace Eliminated)
Sunday May 13 at Lowell
Game 8: #3 Bryant 2 vs #1 Franklin Pierce 4
Game 9: #3 Bryant 3 vs. #1 Franklin Pierce 4  (Bryant Eliminated)
FPC wins NE-10 Tournament

BRYANT NOTES
THREE BULLDOGS TAKE MAJOR CONFERENCE AWARDS
Pitcher Eric Loh (Old Greenwich, CT), freshman catcher Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, CT), and manager Jamie Pinzino were honored following the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament as the Conference Pitcher, Freshman and Coach of the Year.

Loh was Bryant's ace all season, posting a 7-3 record with a 2.09 ERA over 77 innings and 11 starts. He only got better as the season progressed and capped off a stellar junior campaign by defeating SCSU 4-2 Wednesday in the conference tournament before losing to Franklin Pierce 4-3 Sunday.

Vigurs started 51 of Bryant's 52 games this season, 42 at catcher, batting .289 with 23 RBIs, 10 steals, and had no errors defensively, while batting third or fifth all season. He had four hits, the game-winning RBI and two runs scored in a 5-4 14-inning win over UMass-Lowell in the conference tournament. 

After a rocky first season, Pinzino recruited an outstanding freshman class, including five starting position players and a starting pitcher. He molded a young team with just two seniors (and only one from the 2004 College World Series team) and led them to a 32-win season, after being picked to finish sixth in the pre-season poll.

EIGHT BULLDOGS NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Loh was Bryant's sole representative on the first team, while P Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.) and SS Pat McKenna (Orange, CT) were second team honorees. Cobb posted a 6-1 record this season, including a win over Franklin Pierce in the NE-10 Tournament, while McKenna anchored Bryant's defense at shortstop and led the team in hitting with a .329 average and 20 extra-base hits.

Third-team honorees include P Dan Lozeau (Pelham, NH), CF Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.), 3B/SS/C Jay Alexander (Simsbury, CT), P Adam Vuolo (Walpole, Mass.) and Vigurs.

FRESHMEN SENSATIONS
Five of the nine regular starters on this Bulldog squad are freshmen as well as one starting pitcher and the set-up man. T.J. Magnell (Leominster, Mass.), Campbell, and Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.) headline an all-freshman outfield, while Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI) has filled in at third after the injury to McKenna. Vigurs, the NE-10 Freshman of the Year, made no errors behind the plate and batted .289 with 23 RBIs. Magnell has a .350 on-base percentage and 21 RBIs, while Campbell leads the team with 38 RBIs and 69 hits. Ferguson has a team-high 21 steals and has a rocket arm, while Stone had four big sacrifice bunts during the conference tournament. Brent Almeida (Fairhaven, Mass.) has been the fourth starter all season. He has a 4-6 record with a 2.13 e.r.a. in 71.2 innings. Almeida pitched 6.1 innings against FPC on Sunday allowing just one earned run. Eric Polvani (Wallingford, CT) has been an iron-man out of the bullpen, appearing in 26 games and throwing 52.1 innings. Polvani went 32.1 innings without allowing an earned run. He got the save Saturday against the Ravens, pitching 3.1 innings out of the bullpen in a 7-3 win.

LOZEAU WITH A NEAR NO-NO
Right-hander Dan Lozeau (Pelham, NH) took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and settled for the complete-game two-hit shutout as the Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak, defeating Merrimack College 9-0 on April 24. Lozeau struck out five, while walking just one, getting his second complete game of the season. 2B Brendan Pyburn led off the ninth with a single to breakup the no-hitter. He was tested in the sixth when the first two runners reached base on an error and a walk, but he got Mike Chandler to ground into the 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. Lozeau is second on the team in wins (6), and has a 6-1 record with a 2.90 e.r.a., whileaveraging 7 innings per start this season.

IRON MAN POLVANI
Freshman reliever Eric Polvani (Wallingford, CT) has proved his durability this season, pitching a remarkable 52.1 innings out of the bullpen over 26 games. Establishing himself as a late-inning reliever early in conference play, the right-hander went 32.1 conference innings without allowing an earned run. Polvani earned a save against Franklin Pierce in the conference tournament, hurling 3.2 innings of relief in a 7-3 victory. He has an ERA of 2.75 and has walked just eight batters this season.

BECOMING MR. CLUTCH
Junior Mark Dondero (Medfield, Mass.) has proved he's better than his .222 average as "Donny" hit a team-best .500 (9-for-18) with four doubles, seven RBIs, and a .722 slugging percentage during the Northeast-10 Tournament. Batting eighth in the order, Dondero had two two-run doubles, in the seventh and ninth innings, that propelled Bryant to the 5-4 14-inning win over Lowell. He also got Bryant on the board against Franklin Pierce in the championship on Sunday with a run-scoring single. He led the club in virtually every offensive category during the conference tournament.

"VO" A CLOSER AND THEN SOME
Junior Adam Vuolo (Walpole, Mass.) showed he's more than a one-inning pitcher as the All-Conference Third-Team selection pitched six innings of near-perfect relief in a 5-4 14-inning comeabck victory over UMass Lowell on 5/11 in the conference tournament. Vuolo threw 76 pitches and allowed just three hits while picking up the win.

MORE FRESHMAN SENSATIONS
Bryant proved they have one of the best freshmen classes as they were honored with the Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week Award seven different weeks during the season. Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.) and Vigurs have won the award twice, with Brent Almeida (Fairhaven, Mass.), Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.), and T.J. Magnell (Leominster, Mass.) each taking honors once. Vigurs was the NE-10 Rookie of the Year, while Campbell earned all-conference third-team honors.

DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING?
With his two-out first-inning single at Franklin Pierce on April 21, senior first-baseman Mike Rocco (Tewskbury, Mass.) became the fifth Bulldog to have 200 career hits. A four-year starter, Rocco is the only player or coach left from the 2004 team that advanced to the College World Series and is the school record holder for career putouts.

MR. VERSATILITY
Junior Jay Alexander (Simsbury, CT) has shown his versatility on the field, playing three different positions this season regularly. Alexander, this season's starting third-baseman, moved behind the plate for 11 games while Vigurs was nursing an elbow injury. With Pat McKenna (Orange, CT) going down to a foot injury at the end of the regular season, the junior shifted to the position he played as a freshman and started all five playoff games at shortstop. Alexander is hitting .291 for the season and has 19 steals to go with a .383 on-base percentage. Alexander, who played shortstop as a freshman and second as a sophomore, had a 14-game hitting streak earlier this season from April 10-April 28.

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
While Eric Loh (Old Greenwich, CT) brought home Pitcher of the Year honors, Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.) and Dan Lozeau (Pelham, NH) showcased their talents, as they were both honored during the season as Northeast-10 Pitchers of the Week. Cobb and Lozeau combined for a 12-2 record this season, complimenting Loh perfectly in the Bryant rotation.

DUO SETS TRIPLES RECORD
Right-fielder Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.) and shortstop Pat McKenna (Orange, CT) each set the school record for triples in a season with seven. The previous mark was six. Ferguson, the first to reach the mark, led the team in steals with 21 in 27 attempts.

"VO" CLOSES OUT THE RECORD BOOK
Adam Vuolo (Walpole, Mass.) continued an outstanding career by setting the single-season and career marks for saves. Vuolo surpassed the career mark of nine, by finishing this year with 12, second in the conference. "Vo" has 17 career saves, two more than Paul Gately, the previous holder.

MORE RECORDS
Bryant set or tied numerous records this season (listed below).
Earned-Run Average team (season): 2.81 previous: 3.18 (2004)
Putouts (season): 588, Mike Rocco    483, Rocco
Putouts (career): 1959, Mike Rocco   1,055
Triples (season): 7, Ferugson, McKenna   6, Terio, 94
Runs (game): 5 T.J. Magnell    5, several
Hits (game): 5, Vigurs, Alexander   5, several

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