Bryant begins 5-game week with URI, Quinnipiac

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team will play a pair of midweek games for the second-straight week when it hosts Rhode Island on Tuesday and travels to Quinnipiac on Wednesday.

It will begin a stretch of five games in five days this week for the Black and Gold. Following the two midweeks, Bryant will play a three-game Northeast Conference series at Central Connecticut starting on Thursday afternoon.      

The Particulars
Opponents: Rhode Island and Quinnipiac
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.) | QU Baseball Field (Hamden, Conn.)
Date and Time: Apr. 16 – 3:00 p.m. | Apr. 17 – 3:30 p.m.
Watch: Rhode Island | Quinnipiac
Live Stats: Tuesday | Wednesday
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #TCD | #NECBASE

Pitching Probables
Tuesday – RHP John MacDonald (1-2, 3.63) vs. TBA
Wednesday – RHP Tyler Schoff (1-0, 6.97) vs. TBA

Freshman John MacDonald (Stamford, Conn.) and sophomore Tyler Schoff (Lee Center, N.Y.) will start Bryant's midweek games for the second-straight week. MacDonald allowed two runs on three hits in four innings last week vs. UConn, while Schoff allowed three runs on four hits over 3 1/3 at Brown. Both received no decisions.

Series History

• Bryant owns a 10-6 lead in the Division I series with URI and is 18-1 all-time against Quinnipiac.
• The Bulldogs and Rams previously met on Apr. 5 as MacDonald struck out six over six scoreless in a 2-0 Bryant win.
• Bryant and Quinnipiac also have met once this season, a 5-2 Bulldog win on Mar. 16 in Richmond.
• The Bulldogs have won 12-straight against the Bobcats but 14 of the 19 all-time meetings have been decided by four runs or less.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters the week at 24-11 overall after a weekend sweep of Hartford.
• The Bulldogs are 15-3 since opening the northern part of their schedule.
• Bryant features one of the nation's premier offenses, ranking in the top nationally in average (7th, .311), doubles (9th, 80), doubles per game (11th, 2.29), hits (8th, 398), home runs (10th, 47), home runs per game (11th, 1.34), OBP (18th, .405), runs (8th, 303), scoring (8th, 8.7) and slugging (8th, .494).
• Redshirt sophomore Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) has hit safely in each of his last seven games and is now batting .371 with 12 doubles, five home runs, 32 RBI and 34 runs scored. He ranks 20th nationally in hits per game (1.60).
• Classmate Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) is tied for the NEC lead with eight home runs and has driven in a league-best 44 runs which ranks 17th nationally. His eight home runs match his career high from 2017.
• Junior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) has reached safely in 24-straight games and ranks ninth nationally in runs (46) and 11th in runs per game (1.31). The 46 runs are tied for the most in his career.
• Senior Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) is on the verge of becoming the only player in program history with 200+ hits, 150+ runs scored, 20+ home runs, 120+ RBI, 50+ stolen bases and 100+ walks. He needs just one home run and one walk to accomplish the feat.
• Sophomore Sam Owens (Scituate, R.I.) is hitting .330 on the year and after going 7-for-9 over the weekend. Over his last nine games, Owens is hitting .500 (15-30) with five doubles, 10 RBI, nine runs scored and a .583 OBP.

Scouting the Rams

• URI enters the week at 15-18 overall and 8-4 in A-10 play.
• Austin White leads the team with a .321 average and 24 runs scored.
• Xavier Vargas and Jackson Coutts have are tied for the team lead in RBI with 19.

Scouting the Bobcats

• Quinnipiac enters the week at 14-19 overall and 7-2 in the MAAC.
• The Bobcats are hitting .269 as a team and have a team ERA of 5.56.
• Evan Vulgamore is batting .321 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 23 RBI and 23 runs scored.

Up Next

Bryant returns to NEC play on Thursday when it starts a three-game series at Central Connecticut. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.