Baseball Begins Six-Game Homestand with Non-Conference Tilt vs. Merrimack

University of Massachusetts Baseball Game Notes
Game 25 Date // Time	Massachusetts (7-17) vs. Merrimack (9-13) Wednesday, April 14 // 3 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. (Earl Lorden Field) Please click here for protocols on fan attendance restrictions
Series History	Massachusetts leads, 2-1 Last meeting: (at) Merrimack 3, Massachusetts 1 // March 14, 2021
Live Statistics	SIDEARM Stats
Streaming	ESPN+
Twitter	@UMassBaseball \| @UMassAthletics \| @CoachReynolds25
Instagram	UMass Baseball \| UMass Athletics

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Setting the Scene
The University of Massachusetts baseball team hosts the Merrimack Warriors on Wednesday, April 14, at Earl Lorden Field, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. The matchup will mark the beginning of a six-game home swing for the Minutemen and will be streamed on ESPN+.

As a result of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts moving to Phase IV, Step 1 of its Reopening Plan on Mar. 22, UMass Athletics is excited to announce that it has begun welcoming limited spectators to home events. In addition, UMass students and faculty/staff may begin attending games on a first come, first served basis. Please note: fans listed on the UMass player pass list will be given priority access to home events. Only student-athletes can request tickets. In addition, UMass students and faculty/staff will be allowed into the facilities on a first come, first served basis. Students and faculty/staff will be asked to show their green checkmark upon arrival in compliance with campus COVID testing protocols. Fans of visiting teams and the general public will not be admitted to UMass home events at this time. Please click here for complete details and protocols.

Recap in a Minute
UMass began Atlantic 10 conference play with a four-game series against rival Saint Joseph's. The Hawks took the doubleheader on Friday with final scores of 5-1 and 7-5, and the doubleheader on Saturday, 10-2 and 6-1.

In game two of Friday's doubleheader, SJU had a 1-0 lead from the first frame, but the Minutemen earned the run back after Kevin Skagerlind singled through the right side allowing Ryan Coleman to cross home plate in the top half of the third. The Hawks did not let the tie last much longer, as they scored three more in their half of the third inning to make it 4-1. The Maroon and White came back within one in the sixth, thanks to an Eddy Hart RBI base hit that scored Skagerlind, followed by a grounder from Dylan Judd that brought Collin Shapiro to the plate. UMass pulled ahead, 5-4, in the seventh inning after scoring two more, but a three-run home run in the bottom of the frame for the Hawks ended the game with its final score, 7-5.

All-Time vs. Merrimack
The Minutemen and Warriors will meet for the fourth time in program history, with all four meetings being in the 2021 season. UMass leads 2-1 in the all-time series when the two teams faced off for a three-game series in Andover, Massachusetts. The Maroon and White took the first two games of the series, winning with scores of 6-4 and 11-4, while the Warriors took the final game of the series, 3-1. This will be the first meeting at The Earl for the two programs.

[Judd]-ging by the Long Ball
Sophomore Dylan Judd sits atop the leaderboard for the Minutemen in home runs, recording five so far this season. Judd collected his first two collegiate homers on back-to-back at bats during the 10-1 triumph at Towson on March 21. The game saw Judd tally four runs on three hits, one walk, and five RBIs.

The Oceanside, New York, native clubbed three others, with one each at Holy Cross (March 31), UConn (April 3) and Saint Joseph's (April 9).

Meet the Minutemen
A solid mix of returners and newcomers compose the 2021 edition of the Minutemen as the squad begins its 138th season of competition. Twenty-two members of the team are back from the abbreviated 2020 campaign, while thirteen players are in their first season in Amherst, including seven freshmen and six transfers. A complete roster is available here.

Keeping it in the Family
The 2021 season marks the 55th straight campaign that Massachusetts baseball will have an alumnus of the Flagship campus as head coach. Fourth-year skipper Matt Reynolds is a double graduate (2005, '10G), and was preceded by fellow alumni Mike Stone '82 (1988-2017) and Dick Bergquist '57 (1967-87).

This is the second longest active streak across Division I baseball. Only BYU (62 consecutive seasons) has been led by an alum of its campus for a longer period.

On Deck
The Minutemen continue with their homestand when they welcome Atlantic 10 foe La Salle to Earl Lorden Field for four games on Friday, April 16 – Sunday, April 18. The series will start with a single game played on Friday, Apr. 16, at 3 p.m., before a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 17, which is set for a 12 p.m. start. The series finale will take place on Sunday, Apr. 18, with one game at 12 p.m.

Due to the ever-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, game dates, times and opponents are subject to change. The best way to remain on top of schedule updates is via the official UMass baseball schedule page, as well as the team's social media accounts (@UMassBaseball).

Scoreboard

Baseball Begins Six-Game Homestand with Non-Conference Tilt vs. Merrimack

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Players Mentioned

Ryan Coleman

Eddy Hart

Dylan Judd

Collin Shapiro

Kevin Skagerlind

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics