Schedule changes announced as Bulldogs host Sacred Heart to open NEC play

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team's home opener will have to wait at least one more day as expected bad weather has led to changes in this weekend's series with Sacred Heart.

Friday's opener has been postponed to Sunday and will be played as part of a doubleheader scheduled to start at noon. The Bulldogs and Pioneers are now scheduled to open the series on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m.). Any further changes can be found on the Bryant Baseball Twitter, @_BryantBaseball.

LINKS

Saturday – Live Stats

Sunday – Live Stats Gm1 | Live Stats Gm2

PITCHING PROBABLES

James Karinchak (1-1, 3.45) vs. James Taubl (2-3, 2.40)

Ross Weiner (1-0, 3.75) vs. TBA

Chris Wright (0-3, 11.93) vs. TBA

Karinchak is scheduled to start Saturday's opener after tossing two innings last weekend against Saint Joseph's. He has struck out 25 batters and walked just eight in 15 2/3 innings this season.

Weiner came out of the bullpen last weekend to strikeout a season-high four batters and now has 13 strikeouts and 11 walks in 24 innings. His career-high in punch outs came on May 2, 2015 when he posted five in 6 2/3 innings of relief at Sacred Heart.

Taubl has been SHU's most consistent arm this season, posting 37 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 41 1/3 innings. He faced Bryant twice last season, going 1-1. Taubl held Bryant to one run in a complete-game victory during the regular season but was touched up for five runs on eight hits in six innings during the NEC Tournament. Brent Teller (1-1, 3.07), John Sostarich (2-2, 3.92) and Baylor Sundahl (1-4, 3.93) each have made at least four starts.

SERIES HISTORY

Bryant and Sacred Heart renew one of the best rivalries in the NEC this weekend at Conaty Park. The Bulldogs own a 22-12 lead in an all-time series that includes six postseason meetings. Bryant and Sacred Heart have met in each of the last four NEC Tournaments and have played for the NEC title in three of the last four years. The Bulldogs won four of the five meetings last year, including a 5-1 victory in the winner's bracket final of the NEC Tournament.

NOTES AND NOTABLES FOR SACRED HEART

The Black and Gold snapped a 10-game losing skid on Wednesday with a 7-2 victory over Brown. Bryant scored four runs in the first and got 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball from freshman Vito Morgese (Warwick, N.Y.).

Morgese's outing was the longest by a Bryant starting pitcher this season. He is just the second to make it through six innings and the first to pitch into the seventh.

Bryant opens its eighth season of NEC play this weekend. The Bulldogs have won six of the last seven NEC Regular-Season titles, including each of the last five. Bryant is 141-41 (.775) all-time in league play and has not lost an NEC series since Sacred Heart took 3-of-4 in 2013.

The Bulldogs are also the reigning NEC Tournament champions and have won three of the last four tournament titles.

Senior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) inched closer to several milestones on Wednesday at Brown. He collected two hits and now has 193 in his career. Fabio also stole his 50th career base, becoming just the second player in DI program history and only the seventh player in program history to do so.

Sophomore Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) went 3-for-5 on Wednesday, extending his hitting streak to a season-high seven games. Over that stretch, he is hitting .400 (12-30) with two doubles, three triples and a .438 OBP.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

Sacred Heart enters the weekend with a 7-15 overall record and a 2-1 league mark. The Pioneers opened NEC play last weekend, taking 2-of-3 from Central Connecticut. SHU is hitting just .236 as a team but leads the NEC with a 3.99 team ERA.

Keith Klebart leads the team with a .272 average, five doubles and 13 RBI. Anthony Cappozziello has also driven in 13 runs and is the reigning NEC Player of the Week. Freshman Elijah Brown leads the NEC with 18 walks and has a .394 OBP.