Baseball Concludes Regular Season With Four Against Rhode Island

University of Massachusetts Baseball Game Notes
Game 40-43 Date // Time	Massachusetts (13-26, 3-13 Atlantic 10) vs. Rhode Island (23-22-1, 10-5 Atlantic 10) Thursday, May 20 // 3 p.m. Friday, May 21 // 12 p.m. (doubleheader) Saturday, May 22 // 12 p.m. // Senior Day
Location	Amherst, Mass. (Earl Lorden Field)
Series History	UMass leads, 108-80 Last meeting: (at) Rhode Island 10, Massachusetts 8; April 24, 2021
Live Statistics	SIDEARM Stats
Live Streaming	ESPN+ Thursday \| Friday (Game 1) \| Friday (Game 2) \| Saturday
Twitter	@UMassBaseball \| @UMassAthletics \| @CoachReynolds25
Instagram	UMass Baseball \| UMass Athletics

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Follow UMass baseball on Twitter (@UMassBaseball), Instagram (UMassBaseball) and Facebook (UMass Baseball) all season long for the latest news and updates around the team. Fans can also follow head coach Matt Reynolds on Twitter @CoachReynolds25.

Setting the Scene
After 16 days off from competition, the University of Massachusetts baseball team prepares for a four-game Atlantic 10 series against Rhode Island at Earl Lorden Field on Thursday, May 20-Saturday, May 22, to close out the regular season. First pitch in the series opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Thursday ahead of a Friday doubleheader set for 12 p.m. The series finale will start at 12 p.m., on Saturday.

Prior to Saturday's series finale, the program will recognize its six-man senior class, which includes right-handed pitchers Spencer Bergeron and Zach Clevenger, infielder Eddy Hart, right-hander Tommy Koide, outfielder Collin Shapiro and southpaw Ben Shields.

Fan Attendance Protocols
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 won 3-2 against Boston College on Tuesday, May 4, making it the second consecutive victory over the Eagles and first such feat since the team defeated BC in four straight matchups from 2009-13.

The Minutemen got on the scoreboard first in the second inning with a single from Michael Rounds that dribbled into left field against an infield shift, allowing Steve Luttazi to come home after his two-out double ahead of Rounds' at-bat. The Eagles were able to tie up the contest at one-apiece at the top of the fourth, but Aidan Wilde led off the in the fifth, sailing the ball over the right-center bushes to give UMass the 2-1 edge. In the top of the sixth, BC leveled the score at two, before Eddy Hart came home with the go-ahead run on a wild pitch to the backstop with Luttazi at the plate. The Maroon and White held off BC in the ninth to secure the victory.

Max LeBlanc started on the mound, going six innings with a career-best eight strikeouts against two runs on four hits and three walks. Matt Aronson came in relief during the seventh, working out of the inning's jam, and Tucker Wittman earned the win after entering the game for the final two innings.

All-Time vs. Rhode Island
Across most sports, UMass has battled with Rhode Island more than any other opponent, currently leading the all-time baseball series with the Rams, 108-80.

The two sides first met in 1906 and completed a four-game series last month down in Kingston. Game one slipped away from the Minutemen in extra innings, before Massachusetts was able to tie up the series at one apiece with an 11-2 win in game two. URI took the remaining two games, although UMass held the lead in the late innings of the series finale.

Commonwealth Connections

UMass sophomore Michael Rounds and URI graduate student Jake Walker both hail from Milton, Massachusetts.
Freshman Kevin Gower and URI redshirt senior Mike Webb both attended Bishop Hendricken High School.
Rhode Island head coach Raphael Cerrato spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Massachusetts (1998-2000).

Flagship Record Watch

Most Walks (career)
1.		129 - Steve Corradi - 1990-93
2.		117 - Mike McEvilly - 1977-80
3.		107 - Brad Gorrie - 1994-97
T-4.		97 - Eddy Hart - 2017-pres.
		97 - Bryan Mazzaferro - 1996-99

[Judd]-ging by the Long Ball
Sophomore Dylan Judd sits atop the leaderboard for the Minutemen in home runs, recording six 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. His most recent home run came in the 9-8 victory against Merrimack where Judd had two runs on as many hits, one walk and three 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). Judd is currently riding a 15-game reached base streak, dating back to the Merrimack game on April 14.

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.

This Week in UMass Baseball History
2016: On Senior Day no less, it was fitting that the Minutemen senior class carry the squad to a 4-2 win over George Mason to secure the series sweep on May 21. Catcher John Jennings clubbed a two-run homer and classmate Brandon Walsh worked a dominant eight innings in his final start for the Minutemen, striking out 12 to tie a career-high.

2010: The UMass baseball seniors celebrated Senior Day by carrying the Minutemen to a 15-8 win over La Salle at Earl Lorden Field on May 22. Five of UMass' seven seniors combined for 12 hits, 10 RBI and eight runs scored, while senior Bryan Leigh picked up the win on the mound in the squad's season finale.

2005: The Maroon and White sweep a doubleheader against La Salle on May 20, highlighted in part by Matt Torra's eighth complete game of the season. Torra fanned 14 Explorers in going the distance in a 4-2 triumph. In game two, catcher Bryan Garrity and left fielder Curt Szado each had two hits and combined for five runs scored.

1996: UMass heads to Gainesville, Florida for the NCAA East Regional. The Minutemen made it to the final day of the regional before being eliminated by the host Gators, and were led at the plate all week by center fielder Nate Murphy (.500) and second baseman Muchie Dagliere (.480). Chad Paronto went the distance on the hill in a May 25 win over UCF.

Scoreboard