University of Massachusets Athletics
Friday, April 7
Amherst, Mass.
3 P.M.
University of Massachusetts
vs
VCU
Baseball Hosts VCU This Weekend for Home Opener
April 06, 2017 | Baseball
| University of Massachusetts Baseball Game Notes | ||
| Games 21-23 | Massachusetts (6-14, 2-1 A-10) vs. VCU (16-13, 5-1 A-10) | |
| Dates | Times |
|
|
| Location | Weather | Amherst, Mass. Friday: 48 Degrees, PM Showers, Chance of Rain: 40% Saturday: 49 Degrees, Mostly Cloudy, Chance of Rain: 10% Sunday: 64 Degrees, Sunny, Chance of Rain: 0% |
|
| Series History | Tied 4-4 | |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats: SideArm Watch: Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|
| Social Media | Twitter: @UMassBaseball | @VCUBaseball | |
| Probable Starters | Massachusetts: TBA VCU: TBA |
|
Batting Practice
- Massachusetts baseball picks up Atlantic 10 play once again on Friday, hosting the VCU Rams for three games at Earl Lorden Field. These will be the first home games for UMass of the season. First pitch on Friday afternoon is set for 3 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday's contests start at 1 p.m. and noon, respectively.
- The Minutemen and Rams last met in 2015 for a three-game series in Richmond. While VCU dominated game 1 by a score of 16-3, Ryan Moloney pitched UMass to a 3-2 victory in game two. The Rams went on to take the series finale by a score of 8-0.
Recap in a Minute
- Three doubles and a Jon Avallone home run were not enough for the Minutemen on Wednesday afternoon as they fell to Harvard 7-3 in the first round of the Beanpot Championship. The Minutemen wasted no time in getting to the scoreboard, when Avallone launched his third home run of the season over the left field fence to give UMass an early 1-0 lead. The Crimson came out swinging in the bottom of the third scoring five runs on five hits to take the lead, that they would hold for the remainder of the contest.
- On the mound, Freshman Carter Knapek (0-1) got the start, striking out four in 3.0 innings pitched. Unfortunately, he allowed five earned runs before turning the ball over to Casey Aubin, who was then relieved by Connor Donahue.
Scouting VCU
- VCU (16-13, 5-1 A-10) was most recently in action on Wednesday, dropping a 5-1 contest to William & Mary. Last weekend, the Rams hosted George Washington in conference play, taking two of three away from the Colonials with impressive 10-2 and 11-2 victories.
- With 40 hits and 19 RBI on the season, freshman Paul Witt (.381) has powered the Rams offense through there 29 games so far. Teammate Alex Gransback has also been effective at the plate for VCU, posting a .367 batting average with five doubles and 16 RBI.
- On the mound, junior RHP Sean Thompson (4-2) and senior LHP Brooks Vial (3-3) have dominated from the starting role. Thompson, with a 2.95 ERA, has struck out 47 batters in 42.2 innings pitched. His opponents are batting just .236 against him. Vial also holds a 2.95 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts over the course of seven starts.
- Shawn Stiffler is now in his fifth season directing the Rams baseball program. Over his tenure, the Rams have climbed back into national prominence. Entering the 2017 campaign, they stand as only one of 14 programs in the country with 37-plus wins over the last three seasons. During his first two seasons, the VCU baseball program emerged as a nationally-recognized program, putting up back-to-back Top-25 finishes. Stiffler was named the 2015 ABCA East-Region Coach of the Year following a tremendous 2015 season, in which the Rams claimed the Atlantic-10 Conference Championship, advanced to the first Super Regional appearance in program history, and finished the season ranked #17 in the nation by the NCBWA.
Beanpot Update
- University of Massachusetts baseball dropped its first round Beanpot matchup at Harvard by a 7-3 margin on Wednesday afternoon at O'Donnell Field. Following the loss, the Minutemen (6-14) will face Northeastern in the Beanpot consolation game at Fenway Park on April 19, while the Crimson (11-12) move on to take on Boston College for the tournament title.
Getting It Done In The Classroom
- Eight members of the UMass baseball team were recognized last month for their academic success with placement on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll. In total, UMass as an institution had 165 student-athletes earn a spot on the list.
- Casey Aubin, Brett Evangelista, Kevin Hassett, Matt Hosman, Justin Lasko, Bryce Maher, Cooper Mrowka and Dylan Robinson, garnered the laurels for UMass baseball.
Set in `Stone'
- The winningest head coach in team history, UMass skipper Mike Stone embarks on his 30th season directing the Minutemen baseball program. In the summer of 2016, Stone announced that he would retire from coaching following the 2017 season. During his career in Amherst, Stone has helped UMass to 688 victories with 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.
Nine is Fine
- Throughout the 2017 season, the Minutemen will play in nine different states: North Carolina, Florida, Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York. So far, the Minutemen have played in five of these states.
On Deck
- UMass will trek down to Connecticut on Tuesday afternoon to take on Central Connecticut State at 3 p.m. The squad then returns home to host UMass Lowell at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Conference play then starts back up on Thursday when Atlantic 10 foe Saint Louis comes into town for a weekend series. Scheduled start times are at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 1 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday.
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.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
3B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
1B/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
2B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
3B/SS/1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballUMass Base | Highlights vs Siena | 04.30.25
Wednesday, April 30
UMass Baseball vs. George Washington | Broadcast Highlights | 04.27.25
Monday, April 28
UMass Baseball vs. George Mason | Broadcast Highlights | Game 2 04.19.25
Saturday, April 19
UMass Baseball vs. URI | Broadcast Highlights | Doubleheader Game 1 | 3.28.25
Friday, March 28