University of Massachusets Athletics
Baseball Closes Regular Season with Fordham
May 10, 2002 | Baseball
May 10, 2002
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After getting a trio of tremendous pitching performances by freshman to close out a three-game midweek set, the Minutemen return to Atlantic 10 play with hopes of making their ninth-consecutive postseason appearance. UMass will close out the regular-season portion of its schedule as Fordham makes the trip to Earl Lorden Field for a three-game series. The Minutemen need to win all three games of the weekend series to have a chance at making the six-team field of the 2002 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
UMass Leads Relatively New Series with Fordham
UMass has fared favorably against the Rams of Fordham in recent years, as the Minutemen have won the 17 of the first 19 meetings between the two schools. The two schools have met in a three-game series every year since 1996, when the teams played in a four game series. UMass and Fordham also played in the 1997 Atlantic 10 Tournament, where the Minutemen won 14-6.
After Fordham won the first meeting in 1996, UMass won 10 consecutive contest before the Rams claimed a 4-2, series-opening win in 2000. The Minutemen have won the last four meetings between the two teams.
On the Mound for the Minutemen
Senior righthander Jesse Santos will take the hill for UMass in Saturday afternoon's series-opener against the Hawks. Santos has pitched 75.2 innings this season, allowing just 33 runs, 30 of which were earned, on 62 hits. He has walked 34 and struck out 57, and posted a solid 3.57 ERA en route to a 7-3 record. Santos has won the first game of UMass' Atlantic 10 series five times in six series-opening starts this season.
Santos, who has been the top Minuteman starter all season, had tossed complete games in six consecutive outings before starting the second game of UMass doubleheader at St. Joseph's last weekend. In that twinbill, Santos threw an eight-inning complete game, leading the Minutemen to a 4-2 win in the series-opener. He allowed just two runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking none. In the second game, Santos threw the first two innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk en route to the loss.
At St. Bonaventure the week before, the Chelmsford, Mass., native was touched for six runs in the fourth inning at St. Bonaventure en route to his first loss in five starts. Santos still finished the contest, allowing just one hit outside of that fourth inning.
At Rhode Island last month, Santos picked up a series-opening win, allowing just three runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking just one. Against Dayton, Santos went the distance in a 9-4 UMass victory on Saturday. In that contest, the senior cruised through six innings before surrendering four runs when the game was out of reach in the seventh inning. In the series opener against George Washington, Santos went seven strong innings, striking out a career-high 10 in the 5-4 Minuteman victory.
In his last seven starts, Santos has struck out 36 batters while walking just 11 in 44 innings of work.
In Saturday's second game, the Minutemen are expected to hand the ball to sophomore righthander Eric Chown. Chown is tied for second on the UMass team with 14 appearances on the season. His last appearance came last Sunday, when he went 7.2 strong innings en route to his third win of the season, and his second of the week. On Wednesday of the same week, the Fall River, Mass., native went 7.2 innings in relief, picking up the win in UMass' 11-10, 13-inning affair with Vermont. Chown scattered five hits in his effort, allowing three runs, all of which were earned. Chown has started six times this year, including last Saturday's second game, a 15-6 loss at St. Bonaventure. Chown went just 2.2 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits and two walks. Of those eight runs, only three were earned. Against Temple a week earlier, Chown went 7.1 innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits and one walk.
Before the Temple outing, Chown had not started a game since a March 30 contest against George Washington. In that contest Chown was touched for seven runs on seven hits in six innings of work.
Chown has been spectacular out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on nine hits in 9.2 innings. Two weeks ago, Chown picked up his first win of the season as he tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball to lead UMass to a Saturday sweep of Rhode Island.
On Sunday, University of Massachusetts head coach Mike Stone is expected to send freshman lefthander Keith Doherty to the hill to make his ninth career start. Doherty has started eight games this season, including starts in five of UMass' last six Atlantic 10 series and one midweek start against Harvard at the Beanpot Baseball Classic at Fenway Park. He has compiled a 2-4 record with a 6.02 ERA in 55.1 innings of work. In his 14 appearances, he has walked 30 and struck out 34. Doherty tossed three innings of near-perfect relief earlier this week against Harvard. In that game, he picked up his second career save as he allowed just two hits and struck out three. Last weekend at St. Joseph's, Doherty relieved Santos in the second game and went on to finish the contest, allowing one run on four hits in the final four innings.
Two weeks ago at St. Bonaventure, Doherty went 7.2 innings, allowing just three seventh-inning runs en route to his first win since March 16. He silenced the red-hot St. Bonaventure bats, holding the Bonnies to just eight hits.
Against Harvard at the Beanpot, the Quincy, Mass., native was impressive, allowing just one run on three hits in four innings. He struck out three and did not allow a walk in the outing.
Two weeks ago against Temple, Doherty started the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. He went 5 innings, allowing six runs on five hits and five walks and picked up his fourth loss of the season.
Last month at Rhode Island, Doherty drew his first Sunday start. The southpaw went 7.2 strong innings, allowing just two runs on five hits before being tagged with three-consecutive, two-out hits, including a three-run home run. On April 11, Doherty tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief at Northeastern to pick up his first career save. Against Dayton, Doherty went 4.1 innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits. Against George Washington the week before, the southpaw went 4.0 innings, allowing six earned runs on nine hits.
Stone Records 400th Win at UMass
With a 10-3 win over Quinnipiac on Saturday, March 9, head coach Mike Stone recorded his 400th win at the helm of the University of Massachusetts baseball program. Stone has compiled a 418-281-2 (.598) record in his 14-plus seasons at the University of Massachusetts. With the win over Quinnipiac, Stone became the first UMass baseball coach ever to eclipse the 400-win total. Stone became UMass' all-time winningest coach with his 393rd win last season, surpassing legendary coach Dick Bergquist, who managed the Minutemen from 1967-87.
Including five years as the head coach at the University of Vermont, Stone has compiled a 472-371-4 overall record.
Santos Wins Keep Minutemen Hopes Alive
Senior righthander Jesse Santos has been a constant savior to a young UMass staff that has struggled through the first half of the season. Santos has posted a 7-3 record in 11 starts, pitching seven complete games, including six straight. His 3.57 ERA is tops among regular starters, and ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10. He also leads the team in innings pitched and strikeouts.
Seniors To Be Honored On Sunday
Before Sunday afternoon's series finale between UMass and Fordham, the University of Massachusetts will honor its five departing seniors in a brief ceremony. Seniors making their final appearance at Earl Lorden Field will be Mike Kulak, Aaron Senez, Jesse Santos, Connell Clark and Brian Hourigan.
