LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (17-29, 8-13 AE) prepares for non-conference play when they host Kennedy Cup foe UMass Amherst (13-29-1), on Tuesday, May 6, before traveling to Northeastern (37-9) on Wednesday, May 7, and then closing with the final homestand of the season when they host the Boston College Eagls (23-26) on Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11.
LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks are coming off a 1-3 week, with the lone victory coming in a 15-7 win over Quinnipiac. Against the Bobcats, Sophomore River Hart (Nashua, N.H.) was hot at the plate, tallying three hits with two home runs and four RBI. Sophomore Cam Sime (Pittsfield, Mass.) pitched 3.0 innings with four punchouts, while Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) tossed 2.0 innings with three strikeouts. The River Hawks took on UAlbany over the weekend, but fell to the Great Danes in all three games. Senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) posted a double and one run during Friday’s 6-1 outcome against UAlbany. Fish was consistent all weekend, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, one RBI and two runs in Saturday’s 12-9 loss. The final game against the Great Danes ended in a 7-2 decision, with senior Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.) going 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Going into the month of May, Fish ranks first on the team in batting average (.342), hits (54), doubles (17), and RBI (32). Senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) sits at the top in OPS (.958), runs (37), triples (5), slugging percentage (.547), and stolen bases (14). After this week, Hart has a team-high eight home runs. Kelly ranks first in on-base percentage at .423.
Redshirt sophomore Nick Dirito (Plymouth, Mass.) leads the team in earned run average (3.74), while tallying the most wins (5) and is tied for the lead in saves (4) on the team with graduate student Dylan Bedder (New Providence, N.J.). Bedder has also posted the lowest WHIP on the team (1.37). Redshirt junior Brendan Holland (North Andover, Mass.) has added a team-high 63 strikeouts, with sophomore Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) totaling the most innings pitched (63.2) by a River Hawk.
HIT INTO PLAY
The River Hawks have tallied 20 games this season with 10+ hits. The team’s overall record in those 20 games is 11-9. The River Hawks posted a season-high 21 knocks versus Lafayette on Sunday, March 9. UMass Lowell is 15-12 when totaling eight or more hits in a contest.
STRIKE THREE YOU’RE OUT
UMass Lowell’s pitching staff has totaled four games so far with 12+ strikeouts. This season, the team posted 15 strikeouts against Le Moyne on March 23, only one short of the Division I program record of 16, which was set during the 2018 season. When registering 10+ strikeouts in a game this season, the River Hawks hold a 7-4 record.
ETCHING HIS NAME IN THE RECORD BOOK
In game two of the doubleheader against Bryant on Friday, March 28, Holland was dominant on the bump, striking out 11 batters to tie the River Hawks’ Division I single-game record, matching Matt Draper’s effort from March 4, 2023 against James Madison.
200 CAREER HITS
This past Saturday against UAlbany, Fish became the first UMass Lowell River Hawk in the Division I era to record 200 hits over their collegiate career. The infielder knocked an RBI double to right center to reach the milestone.
CRACKING THE LEADERBOARD
Luccini has been ranked on the Division I leaderboard for weeks now, as the outfielder is currently tied for 13th in triples (5) and tied for 28th in triples per game (.11).
AE OVERALL PLAYER STATISTICAL RANKS
Heading into the final stretch of the season, the River Hawks fill the America East leaderboard, as Luccini ranks first in triples (5), tied for sixth in runs (37), and tied for sixth in doubles (12). Fish claims first in doubles (17) and sits tied for fifth in hits (54) in the conference.
Mucciarone sits in third for innings pitched (63.2), as Holland sits right behind him in fourth (62.1). Holland also ranks third in strikeouts (63), with Mucciarone one spot behind in fourth (55). Dirito is tied for third in wins in the America East (5) and tied for fourth for saves (4) alongside Bedder.
SCOUTING UMASS AMHERST
UMass Amherst enters this week falling in a three-game series this past weekend against Saint Louis. The Minutemen now sit at a 13-29-1 overall record. Senior Carter Hanson has recorded 44 hits, 35 RBI, 30 runs, and 11 doubles this season, as a top player for the team’s offense. Another key player is senior Jack Beverly, who has totaled 37 hits, 34 RBI, and 31 runs with a team-high seven home runs. Sophomore Callen Powers has been strong on the mound, tossing 61.0 innings with 47 strikeouts and an earned run average of 4.57.
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
The Huskies recently took a weekend series over Delaware, sitting at a 37-9 overall record before Wednesday’s contest. Junior Cam Maldonado has tallied a .379 batting average with 66 hits, 45 RBI, and 56 runs, adding 11 doubles and 12 home runs. Out of the bullpen, Graduate student Jordan Gottesman has recorded a 2.35 earned run average with a 0.90 WHIP in 61.1 innings pitched, while tossing 67 strikeouts.
SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE
Boston College enters this weekend’s matchup after falling to Stanford this past Sunday, now sitting at a 23-26 overall record. Junior Josiah Ragsdale leads the Eagles offense, tallying 52 hits, 27 RBI, and 47 runs with 11 doubles, five triples, and four homers. Alongside Ragsdale, graduate student Patrick Roche totals 47 hits, 32 RBI, 38 runs with seven doubles and three home runs. AJ Colarusso leads the way for the Eagles’ pitching staff, posting a 4.92 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 56.2 innings thrown.
MATCHUP HISTORY
The all-time series between the River Hawks and UMass Amherst sits at 4-2, with the Minutemen earning the win in the most recent matchup on May 7, 2024, in a 5-4 outcome. UMass Lowell owns a 2-0 home record over UMass Amherst.
The River Hawks’ all-time series against Northeastern sits at a 2-9 overall record. The Huskies took the last meeting against the River Hawks, 15-2, on May 14, 2024.
Boston College has collected two victories over the River Hawks this season. The all-time series stands at 2-7 in favor of the Eagles.