University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass To Host Quinnipiac On Senior Day
May 15, 2007 | Baseball
May 15, 2007
AMHERST, Mass. - Fresh off a series win, the team's third in its last four, UMass (20-23) will close out the home portion of the 2007 campaign when it takes on the Quinnipiac Bobcats (24-15-1). The Minutemen will use the nonconference game to gear up for the final series at Xavier, with a berth to the playoffs on the line. Tuesday's game will be Senior Day as seven current seniors will be recognized for their contributions to UMass.
UMass is coming over a 2-1 series win over A-10 rival Saint Louis. The Minutemen were close to a series sweep, with the only loss coming in 15 innings on Saturday. Maroon and White hurlers kept the team in each game as the offense battled equally tough Billiken hulers. On Sunday, sophomore Tim Comiskey had the best game of his career at Umass, tossing 6.2 innings of scoreless ball and earning the win.
With his performance over the last week, Adam Tempesta (Brockton, Mass.) has boosted himself back above .300 and is currently batting .314. Second best on the team is Bill Rankin (Willington, Conn.) at .278. For his efforts, Rankin was named UMass/Dinn Bros. Co-Athlete of the Week along with Stacy Cullington.
The Bobcats head to Earl Lorden Field on the heels of taking three of four from Mt. Saint Mary's. Quinnipiac was unable to complete the four-game series sweep as they dropped Sunday's game, 16-4. The Bobcats have won 9 of their last 12, are currently ranked No. 1 in NEIBA New England College Baseball Division I poll and occupy first place in the Northeast Conference.
Quinnipiac's offense is headed by three seniors and one junior. Each of the four hitters are above .300, with Tim Binkoski leading the way at .419. Jeff Mainetti and Randy Gress provide the power and are tied for the team lead in home runs, with 10. By contrast, Bryan Adamski leads the Minutemen in home runs with four and UMass as a team has slugged only 14 roundtrippers.
Tuesday's meeting between the two teams will be only the sixth ever for the schools from bordering states. The series commenced in 2000 and the teams last met in 2005. They were slated to face each other in 2006 but the matchup was first postponed and subsequently cancelled. The Minutemen last triumphed over the Bobcats in 2002, when UMass outlasted its opponent 5-4 in 11 innings.
Prior to Tuesday's game, UMass' seven seniors will be honored and thanked for their tireless dedication to Minuteman baseball. Among the honorees are Bryan Adamski (South Deerfield, Mass.), Chris Lloyd (North Adams, Mass.), Rory McDonald (Longmeadow, Mass.), Frank McPherson (Somerville, Mass.), Travis Munsey (Durham, N.H.), Lou Proietti (Hamilton, Ont.) and Bill Rankin (Willington, Conn.). UMass is 4-3 in Senior Day games, dating back to 2000.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. Fans who cannot make the game can follow the action on listen live on WMUA 91.1 or via the live audio link on UMassAthletics.com.
