SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant baseball team returns to Conaty Park for the first time in nearly a month when it hosts UMBC in a crucial America East series. First pitch of the weekend is set for Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

The Particulars
Opponent: UMBC
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Friday, May 8 - 3:00 p.m. | Saturday, May 9 - 1:00 p.m. | Sunday, May 10 - 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats: Sidearm 
Video: ESPN+ 
Game Notes: Bryant
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Probable Starting Pitchers 

Friday - Sean Zaslaw vs Eddie Sargent
Saturday -  Ty Davis vs Zach Robinson
Sunday -  TBD vs Sergio Droz

• Sean Zaslaw has served primarily as a long reliever following Kaden Hilburger on Friday nights but is slated for his first start on Friday. It will be his first start since May 15, 2024. Zaslaw made two starts that season but both were shortened midweek outings. This season, Zaslaw has been one of the league's most effective relievers with a 3-1 record, two saves and a 2.89 ERA in 28.0 innings. Zaslaw has struck out 21 and walked just five in 16.2 innings.
• Ty Davis will make his seventh-straight conference start and has posted a 4.55 ERA in 27.2 innings. Davis has held opponents to a league-low .192 average but has allowed 28 free bases (20 BB, 8 HBP). He was strong last week at NJIT, allowing two runs (one earned) on just two hits over 6.0 innings. Outside of hs outing at Binghamton, Davis has allowed three runs or less in five of his six conference starts. 
• Bryant's game three starter is listed as TBD. For the last three weeks, Cole Schiff has served as an opener of sorts, combining to allow five runs on 11 hits over 9.1 innings. He tossed 2.1 scoreless against Binghamton, 3.0 innings of two-run ball at UML and a season-high 4.0 innings last week at NJIT. Schiff allowed seven hits but didn't walk a batter and matched his season high with four strikeouts. 
• UMBC made a change to its weekend rotation last week vs UAlbany and will go with the same three this weekend. Eddie Sargent has been a constant in the UMBC rotation for the last four seasons and is enjoying a solid senior campaign. He is 3-2 with a career-low 4.37 ERA in 57.2 innings. Sargent has walked 28 and struck out just 32 but teams are still hitting just .266 against him. In league play, owns a 2.94 ERA and teams are hitting just .224. He allowed five runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings last week vs UAlbany. Sargent has faced Bryant four times in his career, including the 2024 America East Championship game. hits 
• Robinson owns a 5-3 record and a 4.29 ERA in 56.2 innings (73H, 16BB, 35SO). In league play, his ERA jumps to 5.40 and he has struck out just 14 in 28.1 innings. Robinson allowed five runs on nine hits last weekend but had a stretch of five-straight starts in March in which he allowed five runs over 33.1 innings. Robinson faced Bryant last season, striking out five over 3.0 innings of relief.
• Droz took over the Sunday spot from Brady LeJeune-DeAcutis last weekend and allowed five runs on four hits over 4.0 innings. He has a 6.59 ERA, walked nine and struck out 11 in 13.2 league innings. He started each of the first five weekends of league play before giving up five runs without getting an out at Maine. LeJeune has pitched out of the bullpen his last three appearances, allowing four runs on nine hits over 7.1 innings.

Bryant vs. UMBC

• Bryant is 11-3 in 14 all-time meetings with UMBC. The Bulldogs and Retrievers met in the 2024 America East Championship game, won by Bryant.
• The Bulldogs are 5-1 at home against the Retrievers. The two teams have not played at Conaty Park since March of 2024.
• Last season, Bryant closed out the regular season with a three-game sweep in Baltimore. 
• In 2024, the Bulldogs earned a 4-1 victory in the winner's bracket final before winning the America East title, 15-10, over UMBC.

Around the America East

• Binghamton sits in first place at 13-5 and controls its own destiny over the final two weekends of league play. The Bearcats' magic number to clinch the regular season title and the No. 1 seed is 5 as they are 13-5 and lead Maine (11-7) by two games.
• The Bulldogs sit in third place with a 12-9 record, two games behind Maine.
• UMBC enters the weekend just behind Bryant at 10-8, while UAlbany is in fifth place with an 8-10 record. 
• UMass Lowell (6-12) and NJIT (6-15) are in sixth and seventh, battling for the final playoff spot. 

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters the weekend at 25-20 overall and 12-9 in America East following a series victory at NJIT over the weekend. The Bulldogs won 4-0 and 5-2 before dropping the finale, 5-3.
• The Bulldogs are 11-12 in their last 23 games after closing out an 11-game road trip with a 20-10 victory over Merrimack on Tuesday. Bryant finished 6-5 on the road trip.
• Bryant has won eight of its 12 series this season. That includes five-of-seven America East series.
• The Bulldogs rank fifth in the nation in stolen bases (137) and fifth in stolen bases per game (3.04). The national leader is Northeastern with 181 total and 3.93 per game. The America East record for stolen bases is 145 set by Northeastern in 1991.
• Bryant is 58-66 in stolen bases against America East foes. 
• The Black and Gold feature four players with 10+ stolen bases led by Casey Wensley's 28. Hunter Kingsbury (19), Gavin Greger (18) and Charlie Saul (17) all have 15+ stolen bases.
• In conference play, Bryant leads the league in doubles (43), home runs (21) and slugging (.439).

• Ellis Garcia enters the weekend ranked third in the league in average (.339), first in slug (.655), first in OPS (1.111), 2nd in hits (56), 4th in RBI (40), 3rd in home runs (11) and 4th in walks (33). 
• Garcia has a 1.139 OPS and is tied for the league lead with 19 RBI in America East play.
• Casey Wensley ranks second in DI program history with 28 stolen bases and leads the America East in both stolen bases and runs scored (53).
• Gavin Greger is 16-for-25 over his last six games, raising his average to a career-high .315. He has produced a pair of four-hit games in that stretch.
• Carlos Irizarry leads the America East with eight doubles in league play.
• Justin Hackett has hit five of his career high eight home runs in league play. He has boosted his season average up to .257 following a strong stretch.
• Thomas Galusha owns a 1.69 ERA in league play, having two runs on six hits over 10.2 innings of relief.
• Aidan Vining owns a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 relief innings against league foes.

Scouting the Retrievers

• UMBC enters the weekend at 23-20 overall and 10-8 in the America East.
• The Retrievers are coming off a series victory over UAlbany last weekend.
• UMBC has been the league's best offensive team for most of the season, averaging over 6.5 runs per game while striking out just 93 times in league play. 
• Danny Orr ranks second in the league in average (.386), 3rd in slug (.614), 2nd in OBP (.476) and 2nd in OPS (1.090).
• Derek Paris hits a team-best .338 on the year, while Ehi Okojie has 15 doubles, 10 home runs and 43 RBI.
• Brady Fox has been a go-to lefty in the bullpen, throwing 21.1 innings over eight relief appearance in league play. He has struck out 26 and walked 14, while allowing just 16 hits.
• Kailen Hackmann (4.73 ERA, 13.1 IP, 14H, 8BB, 15SO) is UMBC's other go-to arm in the pen.