University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Baseball Begins Home Schedule Tuesday With Holy Cross
March 21, 2016 | Baseball
| Massachusetts (3-7) vs. Holy Cross (5-12) |
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| Date | Time | Tuesday, March 22 | 3 p.m. |
| Location | Weather |
Amherst, Mass. (Earl Lorden Field) | Directions
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| Live Stats |
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| Live Video |
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| Social Media | @UMassBaseball  | @HCrossBaseball |
| Probable Starters |
Massachusetts: TBA
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Game Notes
Batting Practice
- After earning a pair of wins in Florida this past weekend, Massachusetts will begin its home schedule with a Tuesday meeting with in-state rival Holy Cross at Earl Lorden Field. UMass last hosted the Crusaders on March 27, 2012 to open that season’s home schedule. In a closely contested game that saw all scoring take place in the first two innings, the Minutemen fell that day by a score of 4-3.
- UMass leads the all-time series between the two squads, 38-30-1.
Recap in a Minute
- The Minutemen rattled off two victories over the weekend over New England foe Maine in Florida, taking a 5-3 decision on Friday and coming away with a 10-1 win on Sunday to wrap up the squad’s spring break trip to the Sunshine State. In addition to earning consecutive wins, UMass has now won three of its last five contests.
- On Friday, UMass wasted little time before striking for two runs courtesy of Dylan Morris’ first home run of the season. Cooper Mrowka later scored the game-winning run in the sixth when Jon Avallone grounded into a fielder’s choice. Ryan Moloney (1-2) worked his way into the win column with a 7.2 inning performance, while southpaw Evan Mackintosh recorded his second save of 2016 after 1.1 hitless innings.
- Sunday saw an offensive outpouring as the Minutemen never trailed and had seven different players record hit with eight scoring at least one run. It was a breakout day on the pitcher’s mound for freshman Justin Lasko (2-0), tossing eight innings and only allowing one run while striking out six. Dylan Morris and Hunter Carey also combined for seven of the squad’s 13 hits.
- UMass also was scheduled to play Lehigh on Saturday in Winter Haven, Fla. Despite three innings of scoreless ball on the mound by Tim Cassidy and a 3-0 lead for the Minutemen, the game was called in the fourth inning due to inclement weather and did not meet the minimum number of innings to constitute an official game.
Scouting Holy Cross
- Holy Cross (5-12, 1-1 Patriot League) visits Lorden Field after taking two of three at Yale this past weekend. The Crusaders won the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday by a score of 8-1, while Nick Lovullo and Bill Schlich each had 3-for-4 afternoons en route to the squad’s 4-2 win in Sunday’s rubber game.
- The Crusader offense has been led thus far by Alex Voitik, whose .327 batting average and three home runs are the club’s highest in both categories. With 11 RBI, Lovullo has proven an equally key part of the lineup. Louvllo has also reached base in 10 consecutive contests.
- Phil Reese (1-2) tossed 7.1 shutout innings and struck out four in the middle game of the Crusaders’ series with Yale, earning his first win of the spring. His outing was the longest of any Holy Cross pitcher this season.
- Sean Gustin has earned the title of de facto closer early on, posting four saves on the campaign. His opponent batting average of .206 is the second lowest of all Crusader pitchers tossing more than two innings.
- Greg DiCenzo is now in his ninth season guiding the Crusaders, during which his squad has made three appearances in the Patriot League championship series. He has also led Holy Cross to at least 20 wins in seven of the last eight seasons.
Getting It Done On The Bump
- Originally from Stratford, Conn., Justin Lasko has turned in strong performances in his last two starts, earning the win on both occasions. On Sunday, the rookie earned his second win after a 95-pitch outing over eight innings of one-run, four-hit ball, while he recorded his first ‘W’ on March 13 after going six innings against Army West Point as the Minutemen took a 6-2 decision.
More and More
- Culminating with his 4-for-5 day in Sunday’s win over Maine, Cape Cod native Dylan Morris extended his team-best hitting streak to eight games over the weekend. The two-game stretch saw Morris record six hits and five RBI.
- His weekend featured single game career-high performances in RBI (3) and hits (4), while his current eight-game hitting streak also represents a personal best.
- After driving in three runs on Sunday afternoon, Morris now has 10 RBI on the season, surpassing his previous single season career-high of 8, set in his freshman year in 2014.
- Sunday’s game also saw the junior swipe two bases and score twice.
A ‘Hart’ of Gold
- Mike Hart continues to serve as an integral component in the lineup for the Minutemen, boasting a .351 clip after appearing in all 10 games, during which he has knocked in four runs and scoring three of his own.
- Although his seven-game hitting streak was snapped during Friday’s win over Maine, Hart bounced back with a pair of base knocks and a run scored against the Black Bears on Sunday. He has tallied a hit in eight of UMass’ 10 games thus far.
Eyes on Jennings
- Senior co-captain John Jennings has been named to the 2016 Johnny Bench Award watch list, as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. There are 74 nominees on the watch list across Division I, with the award ultimately given to the top catcher at the D-I level.
- Throughout UMass’ spring break trip, which spanned seven games, the Newton, Mass. junior posted seven RBI and hit safely in the last four contests of the journey.
Set in ‘Stone’
- The winningest head coach in team history, UMass skipper Mike Stone is in his 29th season directing the Minutemen baseball program. In that timeframe, Stone has helped UMass to 667 victories, recording eight Atlantic 10 regular season championships, along with two A-10 postseason titles and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Nearly 40 of his former players have gone on to play professional baseball.
Cole Joins UMass Staff
- Massachusetts native and former southpaw Nate Cole begins his first season with UMass as an assistant coach. Cole comes to Amherst after spending eight years at Southern Connecticut State in the same capacity. His expertise in pitching helped develop SCSU into one of the top Division II staffs in the country.
- During his playing days at Central Connecticut, Cole helped the Blue Devils to two Northeast Conference championships and two appearances in two NCAA Regionals (2004, 2007). He graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Eight is Great
- Throughout the 2016 season, the Minutemen will play in eight different states: South Carolina, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, and Virginia.
On Deck
- Following Tuesday’s matchup, Massachusetts opens conference play with a three-game series at Atlantic 10 foe Davidson beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, March 25. Game one of the twin bill begins at 3 p.m.
Follow UMass Baseball on Social Media
- Fans can follow the Minutemen on Twitter @UMassBaseball for up to the minute updates, photos, and other news around the team. In addition, fans who use Facebook can visit Facebook.com/UMassBaseball for the latest with the squad.
