Bulldogs open spring break trip at Elon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens its spring break trip with a three-game series at CAA preseason favorite Elon this weekend.   

The Particulars
Opponent: Elon
Location: Latham Park (Elon, N.C.)
Date and Times: Mar. 8 – 4:00 p.m. | Mar. 9 – 2:00 p.m. | Mar. 10 – 1:30 p.m.
Watch: No Stream
Live Stats: Gm 1 | Gm 2 | Gm 3
Game Notes: Bryant
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Pitching Probables
Friday – RHP Tyler Mattison (1-1, 8.03) vs. RHP Kyle Brnovich (1-0, 3.60)
Saturday – LHP Steve Theetge (1-0, 1.62) vs. RHP George Kirby (2-0, 2.60)
Sunday – LHP Vito Morgese (0-1, 5.73) vs. RHP Mason Daniels (1-0, 3.21)

Bryant will go with the same weekend rotation for the second-straight series. Theetge has been stellar in his first three starts, limiting teams to just 11 hits in 16 2/3 innings. He's allowed three earned runs or less in all three starts.

Elon's weekend rotation is headlined by a pair of preseason All-Americans in Kyle Brnovich and George Kirby. Brnovich has struck out 22 in 15 innings this year, while Kirby has 27 strikeouts and just one walk in 17 1/3 innings.  

Series History

• Bryant and Elon will be meeting for the first time in program history.   

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• The Bulldogs enter the weekend at 4-5 overall after taking two-of-three from Virginia Tech last weekend.
• It was Bryant's first series victory over an ACC school in program history.
• The Black and Gold didn't commit an error in the three games and the bullpen combined to allow just one run on five hits.
• Junior Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) is off to a good start at the plate and on the mound. He's driven in a team-high eight runs and has three saves and eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
• Senior Nathan Wrighter (Windsor, N.Y.) has also pitched well out of the bullpen and sports a 1.17 ERA in four appearances. He tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings across two appearances last weekend.
• Junior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) and freshman Jake Gustin (Peabody, Mass.) have formed a nice 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup. Ciliento has posted a .435 OBP and 12 runs, while Gustin has a .415 OBP and 10 runs.
• Rookie Vincenzo Castronovo (Utica, N.Y.) was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week on Tuesday after going 2-for-3 with two doubles in the series finale at Virginia Tech. He's 5-for-8 to start his career.   

Scouting the Phoenix

• Elon has won its last two games and is 8-4 on the year.
• The Phoenix have played two teams Bryant will face later this year, Quinnipiac and Wagner. Elon took two-of-three from Wagner last weekend.
• Elon is hitting .273 as a team and is averaging 7.6 runs per game. The Phoenix have posted a 3.67 team ERA.
• Joe Satterfield is hitting .386 with nine RBI, while Ty Adcock has driven in 15 runs and Tyler Stanley has stolen 11 bases.
• Adcock has also earned three saves on the season.    

Up Next

The Bulldogs continue their spring break trip with a pair of midweek games at Winthrop and Wofford on Tuesday (Mar. 12) and Wednesday (Mar. 13).