Massachusetts Baseball Resumes A-10 Play Against Rhode Island

University of Massachusetts Baseball Game Notes
Game 20-22	Massachusetts (8-10-1, 2-4 Atlantic 10) vs. Rhode Island (13-11, 4-2 Atlantic 10)
Date // Time	Friday, March 28 // 12 p.m. (DH) Friday, March 28 // 3 p.m. (DH) Saturday, March 29 // 1 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. // Earl Lorden Field
Series History	Massachusetts, 111-90 Last Meeting: Rhode Island 5, (vs) Massachusetts 3 \| April 7, 2024
Watch	ESPN+ Friday (DH) \| Saturday
LiveStats	StatBroadcast Friday (Game One) \| Friday (Game Two) \| 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
University of Massachusetts baseball hosts Atlantic 10 foe Rhode Island at Earl Lorden Field for a three-game series on Friday, March 28 through Saturday, March 29. Friday will be a doubleheader with first pitch set for 12 p.m., with game two following at 3 p.m. The series finale on Saturday will start at 1 p.m.

UMass holds an 8-10-1 overall record on the season and a 2-4 A-10 Conference record, while Rhode Island sits at 13-11 overall and 4-2 in the league.

Recap in a Minute
Massachusetts topped UAlbany, 6-3, in a midweek contest on Wednesday afternoon.

Anthony Tirado led the team with two hits, with six minutemen registering one hit each. Mitchell Schroeder recorded his first home run as a Minuteman, while Tirado, Carter Hanson, Marc Willi and Gavin O'Brien had a double on the afternoon. Jack Beverly tallied a team-leading two runs, followed by Schroeder, Zack Zaetta, Jack Peters and Michael Toth all with one run apiece. Tirado and Schroeder totaled a team-best two RBI each on the day.

Jack Levine received the win for Massachusetts, allowing one run on two hits, walking two and striking out two in two complete innings of work. Sam Belliveau started on the mound for UMass, giving up no runs, one hit, walking two and striking out three in three innings, while Jason Blanchard entered for two innings with no runs, two hits, two walks and his first two collegiate strikeouts.

All-Time vs. Rhode Island
The Minutemen and Rams will meet for the 202nd time in program history, with UMass holding a 111-90 advantage over URI. The first meeting between the two teams occurred in 1906 when Massachusetts defeated the formerly named R.I.S., 6-2. Massachusetts and Rhode Island competed last season for a three-game series in Kingston, Rhode Island, with the Rams claiming two-of-three on the weekend.

Massachusetts' last win against Rhode Island was on April 6 of last season, as the Minutemen won 4-2 on the afternoon.

It's Going, Going, And It's Gone
Massachusetts has tallied 20 home runs in 19 games played from 10 Minutemen. Hanson leads the team with five homers, followed by Beverly with four. Tirado, Jared Muñoz, and Willi all have two each, while Braden Sullivan, Toth, Sam Hill, Ryan Kolben and Schroeder registered one homer each.

Additionally, UMass registered at least one home run in 10 of its last 15 games, while recording two in back-to-back games twice this season - at Coppin State (3/2) and at Quinnipiac (3/4), and at Navy (3/8-3/9), and recording a season-best five at Towson (3/19).

Tirado posted his first career long ball in game one of three at Coppin State (2/28), before hitting his second of the year in game three of the series at Coppin State (3/2). Hanson had homers in back-to-back games with his first of the year coming at Coppin State (3/2) and his second at Quinnipiac (3/4). Beverly tallied his first home run of the season at Quinnipiac (3/4).

Willi registered his first home run of the season in game two of the doubleheader at Navy (3/8), while Hill posted his homer in the series finale at Navy (3/9). Sullivan recorded his first homer of the year in game three of the series at Davidson (3/15). Muñoz recorded his first two collegiate home runs at Towson (3/19).

Kolben registered his first collegiate home run in game three of the series at Fordham (3/23). Schroeder recorded his first home run as a Minuteman in a midweek game vs. UAlbany (3/26).

On A Roll…
Twelve Minutemen are riding a current hit streak, so far this season. Beverly, Willi and Matt Travisano are all on a three-game hitting streak, while Hasnon, Kolben, O'Brien and Reece McCarthy follow with two each. Tirado, Schroeder, Zack Zaetta, Kevin Schnupp and Vance Bonior are on a one-game streak.

Hanson held the longest streak with an eight-game hitting streak before it came to an end, followed by Sullivan with six games.

Travisano and Muñoz are on an eight-game reached base streak, the longest active on the team this season, followed by McCarthy and Toth on a five- and four-game streak, respectively. Six Minutemen are on a three-game reached base streak, as O'Brien is on two-game streak. Tirado, Schroeder, Peters, Schnupp and Bonior are all on a one-game streak.

Tirado had a 14-game long reached base streak before it came to an end.

[Multi]ple Games
In 19 games, UMass has a strong showing with multi-hit games, as the Minutemen have run their total of multi-hit performances to 33. Beverly and Tirado lead the production with five, including a four-hit game from Tirado and two three-hit games for Beverly. Sullivan, Hanson, Travisano and Muñoz all have four multi-hit performance, while Kolben has three, which includes one four-hit contest. Peters and O'Brien have one multi-hit game.

Massachusetts also contributed a total of 28 multi-RBI games, led by Hanson with five, including a three-RBI contest. Beverly and Tirado have four multi-RBI games, including a four-run contest for Beverly, while Peters and Travisano have three multi-RBI games, with Travisano having one five-plus RBI game, so far, this season, and Peters registering three RBI in one game. Toth and Muñoz totaled two multi-RBI games, including a four-RBI game and a five-plus RBI contest for Muñoz. Five Minutemen tallied on multi-RBI game.

Meet the Minutemen
A solid mix of returners and newcomers compose the 2025 edition of the Minutemen as the squad begins its 142nd season. Twenty-two members of the team are back from the 2024 campaign, while 13 players join for their first season in Amherst, including 10 freshen and three transfers.

Keeping it in the Family
The 2025 season marks the 59th straight campaign that Massachusetts baseball will have an alumnus of the Flagship campus as head coach. Eighth-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 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
Massachusetts competes against Harvard at the Earl on Tuesday, April 1, at 3 p.m. for the Baseball Beanpot Opening Round.

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