Bulldogs, Hawks clash in first-place battle

BULLDOGS AND HAWKS BATTLE FOR FIRST PLACE

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With first place in the Northeast Conference standings on the line, the Bryant University baseball team travels to West Long Branch, N.J., to face preseason favorite Monmouth this weekend for a four-game series beginning with a 3:00 p.m. first pitch on Friday, May 4.

The Bulldogs (28-18, 19-5 NEC) enter the weekend with a one-game lead over the Hawks (30-17, 18-6 NEC) with eight games to play in the conference regular season.

If history has any bearing on this series, it appears the two teams are destined for a split. The two teams have split every four-game series over the last three years. Last season, the Hawks won the first game of the series 17-3 before the Bulldogs came back to earn a sweep on Saturday. Monmouth earned a split with a 4-2 win on Sunday. In 2010, the Hawks won the first two games of the series before Bryant salvaged a split by winning the final two. The teams traded wins during the 2009 season.

If the series didn't need any more excitement, Friday's series opener will be one for the ages as the league's two best pitchers will meet for bragging rights. Bryant will stroll out junior right-hander Peter Kelich (Jackson, N.J.), while Monmouth will counter with junior fire-baller Pat Light. Kelich leads the league in wins with six, while Light leads the league in strikeouts with 62. In fact, the two have been eerily identical so far this year. In six conference starts, both have thrown 49 innings and posted identical 1.47 ERAs. Kelich has allowed one less hit than Light (33-34) but Light has posted an impressive 62:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The league's best pro prospect in recent memory, Light is a projected first round pick in this June's MLB Amateur Draft.

While the two Friday starters may steal the spotlight, both teams bring strong offensive capabilities to the table. The Black and Gold are second in the NEC with a .290 average and the Blue and White are not far behind at .286. Senior catcher Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) has climbed his way into the top five in the league in hitting at .362, and he is also tied for the league-lead with 20 RBI. Classmate Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) isn't far behind DelPonte, as Carignan's second-half surge has produced a .359 average in 20 league games.

The player that DelPonte shares the RBI lead with also happens to be playing in this series, Monmouth's Danny Avella. The senior third baseman is hitting .309 with six doubles, four home runs and 20 RBI. The Hawks' top hitter in league play has been Ed Martin, registering a .337 average with nine doubles and 20 runs scored.

Following Friday's pitching matchup will be tough but the remaining three games should all provide quality pitching. The Bulldogs will go with their normal rotation of Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) and Joseph Michaud (Milford, Conn.) on Saturday and Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) on Sunday. Outside of Kelich and Light, McAvoy sports the lowest ERA in the league at 1.59.

Monmouth will counter with Andrew McGee and Stephen Frey on Saturday and Dan Smith on Sunday. McGee is 5-1 with a 3.50 ERA and has thrown four complete games in six league starts. Smith is 4-2 with a 3.40 ERA and Frey is 2-1 with a 6.51 ERA.

Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at MU Baseball Field. The series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. and finishes with a single game on Sunday at 1.