Bryant opens spring break trip with three-game series at Maryland

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens its eight-game spring break trip with a weekend series at Big Ten-member Maryland beginning on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

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SERIES HISTORY

Bryant and Maryland will be meeting for the second-straight year and the third time in four years this weekend. The Terrapins hold a 5-1 lead in the all-time series. Last season, Bryant won the middle game of a three-game series, 2-0, behind a gem from Brandon Bingel. All six of the games between the two programs have been decided by four runs or less.

BINGEL PITCHES BULLDOGS PAST TERPS

Brandon Bingel allowed three hits, walked three and struck out three over six scoreless innings to lead the Bulldogs to a 2-0 victory over Maryland on Mar. 12, 2016. Then-freshman Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) and then-sophomore Logan Lessard (Cromwell, Conn.) combined to get the final nine outs. Theetge pitched a scoreless seventh and Lessard recorded a six-out save to close the door. Matt Albanese drove in a run and scored a run for the Black and Gold.

NOTES AND NOTABLES FOR MARYLAND

Bryant snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 9-6 victory over Liberty last Sunday. It was the longest streak since the Bulldogs opened the 2013 season winless in their first seven games. Bryant went on to win 45 games and its first Northeast Conference championship that season.

The Bulldogs will see a familiar face in the opposing dugout this weekend as former pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Ryan Fecteau is a member of the Maryland coaching staff. Fecteau coached for six years at Bryant before accepting the pitching coach position at Maryland after the 2016 season. He helped the Bulldogs win three NEC titles and guided a pitching staff that led the NEC and finished in the top 25 nationally in ERA in four of the last five seasons.

Bryant's eight-game spring break trip continues with a pair of mid-week games at Richmond (Tuesday) and George Washington (Wednesday). The Bulldogs open NEC play to wrap up the trip, visiting Fairleigh Dickinson for a three-game series next weekend (Mar. 17-19).

Freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) was named the NEC Rookie of the Week after hitting a pair of home runs and driving five runs on Sunday at Liberty. Titus is now 9-for-19 with three home runs and six RBI over his last five games.

The Bulldogs have now had three different freshmen win rookie of the week honors over the first three weeks of the season.

Logan Lessard made his first appearance of the season on Sunday and tossed a perfect ninth inning to earn the save. He is now 7-for-7 in career save opportunities.

Junior Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) has pitched into the sixth inning in each of his last two starts. At Liberty, he allowed three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 to earn his first win of the year. That came after limiting Arkansas to two runs (one earned) on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS

Maryland enters the weekend riding a five-game winning streak. The Terps swept three games at the USA Baseball-Irish Classic last weekend before winning a pair of mid-week games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Maryland is hitting .271 as a team and is led by Nick Dunn who is batting .326 and leads the team in doubles (4), RBI (8) and runs scored (12).

On the mound, Bryant will see Brian Shaffer on Friday, Taylor Bloom on Saturday and Tyler Blohm on Sunday. Shaffer and Bloom both pitched against the Bulldogs last season, limiting them to just four runs in 16 innings. Bloom tossed a complete-game in Bryant's 2-0 victory, while Shaffer allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out six over seven innings in the series finale.