LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (3-17, 0-3 AE) will open its home campaign on Wednesday when the Stonehill Skyhawks (3-14, 1-5 NEC) will visit LeLacheur Park. The River Hawks then hit the road once again to take on the Maine Black Bears (9-11, 3-0 AE) for an America East weekend series.
 
Game Info vs. Stonehill
 
Wednesday, March 29 vs. Stonehill (3 p.m.)
 
LeLacheur Park (Lowell, Mass.)
 
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Probable Starters: RHP Miles Cota (0-0) vs. LHP Jonathan Rice (0-0)
 
SERIES HISTORY
The River Hawks are 35-24 against Stonehill all-time, dating back to 1979. The Skyhawks have won the previous two meetings and four of the last five. UMass Lowell's last win over Stonehill came in 2013, a 7-5 win on the road.
 
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
Stonehill comes to Lowell with a 3-14 overall record and 1-5 mark in NEC action. The Skyhawks won their last outing, defeating LIU 10-7 on Saturday, March 25. They have wins over Hartford and Army West Point this season. Conor Kiely leads the team hitting .385 through 17 games with team-highs in runs (12), hits (25) and stolen bases (4). Three other players have tallied at least 15 hits. The Skyhawks have hit 11 homeruns this season and have allowed 20, as well as scoring just 77 runs while allowing 204 in 17 games. Zach Gleason is leading the pitching core with 17 strikeouts on the year, averaging 8.83 K/9.
 
Series Info at Maine
 
Friday, March 31 at Maine (2:30 p.m.)
 
Mahaney Diamond (Orono, Maine)
 
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Probable Starters: RHP Matt Draper (1-3) vs. RHP Colin Fitzgerald (0-1)
 
Friday, March 31 at Maine (6 p.m.)
 
Mahaney Diamond (Orono, Maine)
 
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Probable Starters: LHP Jacob Jette (1-2) vs. LHP Caleb Leys (1-0)
 
Saturday, April 1 at Maine (TBD)
 
Mahaney Diamond (Orono, Maine)
 
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Probable Starters: RHP Nick DiRito (1-2) vs. RHP Noah Lewis (2-1)
 
SERIES HISTORY
The River Hawks and Black Bears meet for another America East clash in Orono, with Friday being the 38th all-time meeting between the teams. After dropping four straight contests against Maine, UMass Lowell has won the last three meetings, including a 9-7 win in the America East playoffs last season that knocked the Black Bears out of the tournament on their home field. The River Hawks will look to continue their recent success at Mahaney Diamond and pick up a first conference win of the season this weekend.
 
LOOKING AT UMASS LOWELL
UMass Lowell enters the week after being swept by Binghamton last weekend. The River Hawks lost the three contests by a combined five runs. Alex Luccini hit .462 over three games with three runs, six hits and one homerun. Fritz Genther hit .417 with five hits and four RBIs while Jacob Humphrey hit .400 with four runs, four hits and 10 total bases. Humphrey also hit two solo homeruns in the series at Binghamton.
 
Jacob Humphrey leads the way batting .350 on the season. The sophomore has tallied team-highs in total bases (42), hits (28), runs (17) and stolen bases (7). Gerry Siracusa has 22 hits with 10 runs and 12 RBIs. Fritz Genther leads the team with 17 RBIs and four homeruns through 19 games this season. Humphrey and Siracusa are the only two River Hawks to start all 20 games this year.
 
Matt Draper has a 1-3 record in six appearances and leads the team with 30 strikeouts on the year. LJ Keevan is likely to start over the weekend, looking to get his season back on track after starting 0-5 in five starts. Nick DiRito and Jacob Jette have shown good signs in their rookie campaigns, and one may earn a starting role against the Black Bears.
 
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine is 9-11 overall with a 3-0 record in league play so far this season. The Black Bears swept UMBC March 17-19, outscoring the Retrievers 25-15 in three games. Maine won a weekend series against Saint Joseph's last time out, winning back-to-back high-scoring games after dropping the series opener. The Black Bears are known for their heavy hitters and strong offense, leading the league with 158 runs and 200 hits. They have hit 33 homeruns as a unit in 20 games. Six players have at least 10 hits and 18 runs scored on the year and five players with at least three homeruns. The Black Bears have plenty of depth offensively and solid pitching throughout the lineup. It will be another tough road test for the River Hawks against a very balanced Maine team.
 
STOLEN GOODS
The River Hawks are 15-22 on stolen base attempts through fourteen games this season. Jacob Humphrey is 7-9 this season while Gerry Siracusa is a perfect 3-3. Robert Gallagher has two stolen bags on three attempts. 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 guys like Humphrey, Genther and Gallagher.
 
EXTRA BASES
Through 20 games, the River Hawks have hit 26 doubles, with Gerry Siracusa and Ryan Proto leading the way with five each. Fritz Genther has four doubles and four homeruns, while Jacob Humphrey has hit three homers, three doubles and one triple. UMass Lowell has hit 13 homeruns this season and Fritz Genther has a team-high four, including a grand slam.
 
CONFERENCE RANKS
Jacob Humphrey sits second in the league in hits (28), seventh in runs scored (17), fourth in at bats (80) and fourth in stolen bases (7). Humphrey and Frank Wayman are tied for fourth in the conference with one triple each. Fritz Genther's four homeruns have him tied for eighth and sits tied for eighth in RBIs with 17.
 
Matt Draper is fourth in the league with a 4.10 ERA, fifth in opposing batting average at .250, fourth in strikeouts with 30 and first in innings pitched at 37.1. In the field, Gerry Siracusa is second in fielding percentage at 1.000. Conor Kelly is fourth in putouts with 129 while Jacob Humphrey and Fritz Genther are third and fifth in assists, with 53 and 40, respectively.