Bulldogs welcome Blackbirds to Smithfield for weekend series

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After a 10-day break, the Bryant University baseball team returns to action this weekend when it hosts LIU Brooklyn in a four-game Northeast Conference series beginning Friday, April 1. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Friday.

The Bulldogs (14-5, 4-0 NEC) haven't played since March 23 when they dropped a 9-8 mid-week game to the University of Hartford. The Blackbirds (5-16, 0-4) come to Smithfield on the heels of their fifth-straight loss on Wednesday against New York Institute of Technology.

This weekend's series will be the first of two meetings between Bryant and LIU Brooklyn this season. They will also play a weekend series in Brooklyn from May 6-8. Friday's opener will be the 30th all-time meeting between the two teams, with the Black and Gold leading 20-9. Bryant is only 6-5 against LIU in Smithfield, however.

The series between these two ball clubs has several significant moments, including a pair of NEC tournament games during the 2013 season. Seeded fourth, LIU knocked off top-seeded Bryant on the first day of the tournament, but the Bulldogs returned the favor two days later, knocking the Blackbirds out of tournament on the way to their first league championship. In 2011, LIU took two-of-three from Bryant in an abbreviated series in Smithfield. It marks the only NEC series the Bulldogs have lost at home since joining the league in 2009.

Bryant enters the weekend as the No. 1 team in New England for the second-straight week and in a three-way tie for first in the NEC standings. The Bulldogs are hitting .283 as a team and leads the league with 6.6 runs per game. Senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) is enjoying an incredible season so far and ranks among the league leaders in average (.415), doubles (10) and RBI (23). He currently ranks seventh nationally with 0.53 doubles per game. Junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) is also heating up and is hitting .439 with eight doubles, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored during his current 10-game hitting streak.

The Bulldog pitching staff enters the weekend with a league-best 3.47 ERA, while allowing just 7.89 hits per nine innings, a number that ranks 38th nationally. Sophomore James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) gets the ball on Friday, junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) and senior James Davitt (Wallingford, Conn.) will pitch Saturday and freshman Steve Theetge (Cicero, N.Y.) will start Sunday's finale. Davitt threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout against Central Connecticut in his last start.

LIU, one of the youngest teams in league, has struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .222 as a team.  Harrison Preschel leads the team with a .295 average, while Brian Lamboy is hitting .281 with a team-leading .439 OBP. Returning All-NEC selection Tommy Jakubowski is hitting just .213 but leads the team with 17 RBI and is also 14-16 in the stolen base department.

On the mound, the Blackbirds have posted a 5.35 team ERA and have struck out just 139 in 178 innings. UConn Avery Point transfer Baylor LaPointe will get the ball Friday and he has been the most successful starter this spring, going 2-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 33 2/3 innings. Brian Drapeau (0-3, 5.47), Cory Hart (1-1, 6.43) and Anthony Rupp (0-1, 6.86) are the other three scheduled starters for the Blackbirds. Hart has struck out 28 batters in just 21 innings this year.

Friday's first game will start at 3:00 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale will both start at 1:00 p.m. Friday and Sunday will be streamed live and free of charge on NECFrontRow.com.