LOWELL, Mass. – The long non-conference road trip comes to an end as the UMass Lowell baseball team (2-12, 0-0 AE) will visit the Delaware Hens (6-10, 2-1 CAA) for a weekend series. Game one is set for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 17 at the Bob Hannah Stadium in Newark, Delaware.
 
Series Info
 
Friday, March 17 at Delaware (4 p.m.)
 
Bob Hannah Stadium (Newark, DE)
 
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Probable Starters: LHP LJ Keevan (0-4) vs. LHP Eli Atiya (2-2)
 
Saturday, March 18 at Delaware (1 p.m.)
 
Bob Hannah Stadium (Newark, DE)
 
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Probable Starters: RHP Matt Draper (1-2) vs. RHP Bryce Greenly (0-2)
 
Sunday, March 19 at Delaware (1 p.m.)
 
Bob Hannah Stadium (Newark, DE)
 
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Probable Starters: RHP Nick DiRito (1-1) vs. LHP Chris Grome (1-0)
 
SERIES HISTORY
UMass Lowell and Delaware have met six times prior to the weekend series. The River Hawks are 3-3 against the Hens all time. After UMass Lowell won three straight contests, Delaware has won the last two meetings between the teams.
 
LOOKING AT UMASS LOWELL
After sweeping James Madison, the River Hawks have hit a rough patch of the road trip. UMass Lowell went 0-5 last week, falling to #11 Virginia Tech in two midweek games before being swept by Saint Joseph's over the weekend. The offense has struggled of late to string hits together and find a rhythm to their game. This weekend presents an opportunity for the River Hawks to get back on track before conference play begins.
 
Jacob Humphrey and Gerry Siracusa lead the team batting .298 on the season, each with a team-best 17 hits. Humphrey sits tied for seventh in runs scored and tied for fifth in hits in the conference. Fritz Genther has three home runs this season to lead the team and has brought in 12 runs to tie Siracusa for the team lead. The two are tied for fifth in the league in RBIs.
 
LJ Keevan is on track to start Friday's game, coming in with an 0-4 record. The sophomore will look to earn his first win of the season against the Hens. Matt Draper leads the River Hawks with a 4.21 ERA and is expected to start Saturday's contest. Draper is 1-2 this season and threw a complete game to earn his first win of the season. Nick DiRito had a tough outing against SJU but has been sharp this season and will likely get the nod for Sunday's game. DiRito has struck out 10 hitters in 11.0 innings this season and has a 1-1 record.
 
SCOUTING THE HENS
Delaware welcomes the River Hawks with a 6-10 overall record and a 2-1 mark in conference play this season. The Hens took down CAA opponent Hofstra last weekend, winning the series 2-1. Both wins for Delaware were high-scoring games, with 18-7 and 19-9 score lines. The Hens fell in their midweek game against Maryland, 13-11, on Wednesday night. Bryce Greenly and Joey Loynd have been big hitters for Delaware this season, tallying 24 and 25 hits, respectively. Loynd has scored 23 runs and brought in 24 RBIs to lead the team while Greenly has scored 18 runs with 10 RBIs. Both have hit four homeruns through 16 games to lead the team. Joey Silan leads the pitching core with a 4.41 ERA in four appearances with one save. Four pitchers have recorded double digit strikeouts this season.  
 
STOLEN GOODS
The River Hawks are 10-14 on stolen base attempts through fourteen games this season. Jacob Humphrey is 5-6 this season while Gerry Siracusa is a perfect 2-2. Fritz Genther and Conor Kelly are both 1-1 this season. Base running was a huge help for the River Hawks last season, and they will look to continue that trend with last season's speed players like Humphrey, Genther and Robert Gallagher.
 
BIG HITTERS
While the River Hawks have struggled of late offensively, several players have had success at the plate so far this season. Jacob Humphrey and Gerry Siracusa have tallied 17 hits apiece through 14 games this year. Humphrey also recorded a hit in six straight at-bats against Virginia Tech during the week, building off his success from last season. Brandon Fish has been a solid hitter this season with 13 hits while Ryan Proto has tallied 11. UMass Lowell will look for more offense throughout the lineup as the season moves along.
 
EXTRA BASES
Through 14 games, the River Hawks have hit 18 doubles, with Gerry Siracusa and Ryan Proto leading the way with four each. Fritz Genther has added three doubles of his own as well. Jacob Humphrey and Frank Wayman have the team's only triples this season, with on each. UMass Lowell has hit nine homeruns this season and Fritz Genther has a team-high three, including a grand slam.