Bryant set to face CCSU in NEC Tournament on Thursday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The second-seeded Bryant University baseball team will face third-seeded Central Connecticut in the opening round of the 2022 Northeast Conference Baseball Championships on Thursday afternoon at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m.

Bryant will be playing in its ninth NEC Tournament but will be the No. 2 seed for the first time ever. The Bulldogs had served as the No. 1 seed in each of the eight previous tournaments. Thursday's other game features top-seeded LIU and fourth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson. The losers of Thursday's games will play Friday at 12:00 p.m., while the winners will meet at 4:00 p.m. One final elimination game is scheduled for Saturday at 12:00 p.m., with the NEC Championship round set for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. If necessary, a game 7 will be played on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. to decide the 2022 NEC Champion. 

The Particulars
Opponent: Central Connecticut
Location: Dodd Stadium (Norwich, Conn.) | Directions
Date and Time: May 26 - 4:00 p.m. | May 27 - TBA | May 28 - TBA
Live Stats: Sidearm
Video: NECFrontRow
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #NECBASE  

Bryant vs. CCSU

• Bryant owns a 45-18 record all-time against Central Connecticut. 
• The Bulldogs won four of the six meetings between the two teams during the regular season. Bryant swept CCSU at Conaty Park two weekends ago.
• Bryant and CCSU have also met eight times in the NEC Tournament. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the bracket stage, but CCSU is 4-0 in the NEC Championship round.
• CCSU has beaten Bryant twice in the championship round in both 2019 and 2021.     

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant finished the regular season with a 27-25 overall record and a 17-10 mark in the NEC.   
• Bryant ranks fifth in the NEC with a .267 average, third with a 5.39 ERA and second with a .967 fielding percentage. The Bulldogs have turned 44 double plays, the second-most in the league. 
• Matt Woods has enjoyed a career year, hitting a league-best .389 with a league-high 127 total bases. Woods has career-highs in hits (75), doubles (17), triples (7), home runs (7) and RBI (41). 
• Alex Lane has provided pop as well, posting 14 doubles and 12 home runs. His 12 home runs are the second-most in a single season in DI program history. 
• Since returning from injury, Shane Kelly has produced 17 RBI in 10 games. Last weekend, he hit grand slams in back-to-back games against Wagner. 
• Jake Gustin finished the regular season with a flourish as well, posting a pair of home runs vs Wagner. He hit .302 with five doubles, five homers and 19 RBI in just 29 games. 
• Carmine Petosa enters the NEC Tournament hitting .316 with 20 RBI and a .455 OBP. He is hitting .418 since late April.
• Collin Lowe posted the lowest ERA in the NEC during the regular season, going 5-4 with a 2.82 ERA. He has struck out 74 in 73.1 innings. 
• Kyle Rizy has also shined of late and enters the tournament with a 2.11 ERA in 21.1 innings. 
• Christian Allegretti has been Bryant's most active reliever, going 4-2 with two saves in 18 appearances. He has 40 strikeouts in 42.0 innings.