LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (2-4) heads back to the Carolinas this weekend for a three-game series at USC Upstate (4-3) on February 28-March 2 at Harley Park in Spartanburg, S.C.
LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks opened a series at Appalachian State with a defensive duel, as sophomore Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) tossed 6.0 innings and fanned three batters in a 1-0 setback. In the second game with the Mountaineers, junior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) chipped in for the River Hawks, tallying a run and an RBI (1-4) in the 7-5 defeat. The relief pitchers were solid on the hill in that contest, as redshirt-sophomore Nick Dirito (Plymouth, Mass.) and sophomore Cam Sime (Pittsfield, Mass.) kept the home team scoreless by combining for three strikeouts. UMass Lowell exploded offensively early in the final game before the hosts put together a 14-10 comeback in the series finale. Senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) (4-4), junior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) (2-4), and sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) (2-5) were all productive at bat. Fish produced two runs and two RBI, Scott posted two runs and one RBI with a triple, and O'Leary recorded his first home run of the year off a solo shot, adding two runs and two RBI.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through six games, Fish has posted a .571 batting average (12-21) and a 1.559 OPS with six runs and four doubles to lead the team. Scott has been a promising addition so far this season, recording a .300 batting average with a .944 OPS. Martinez has totaled six knocks and five runs to sit second on the team in both categories. He also sent a solo shot past the fence for one home run on the season, tying for first on the team. Junior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) paces the team in runs batted in (RBI) with eight total off five hits, including three doubles.
On the pitching side, Dirito boasts eight strikeouts, matching the team best, and has allowed just one hit for a perfect ERA of zero. He has also collected one save. Mucciarone has started in two games this season, obtaining eight strikeouts, as well, while posting an earned run average of 3.60. Redshirt-junior Brendan Holland's (North Andover, Mass.) also has eight strikeouts in two games started. In 10.0 innings pitched, Holland has notched a 1-1 record.
HIT INTO PLAY
In the third game of the weekend series at Appalachian State, the River Hawks tallied a total of 16 hits, good for its most in a single game so far this season. Eight different batters recorded at least a hit in the contest. Last season, the highest number of hits in a game was capped at 18, when the River Hawks took on America East opponent Binghamton.
CRACKING THE LEADERBOARD
Fish currently sits tied for fourth place in the nation in the batting average rankings across the NCAA. Through six games played, he has gone 12-for-21 at the plate to bat .571. He is also tied in 32nd for doubles per game (0.67).
AE OVERALL PLAYER STATISTICAL RANKS
Fish leads the conference in batting average (.571), on-base percentage (.654), hits (12) and doubles (4). He sits in second for slugging percentage (.905) and OPS (1.559), while grabbing sixth in runs scored (6) and seventh in RBI (6). Scott comes in at fifth in slugging percentage (.500), seventh in on-base percentage (.444), fifth in OPS (.944) and fourth in triples (1) in the AE. DeLanzo fills the second spot for RBI (8) and fifth spot for doubles (3) on the America East leaderboard.
SCOUTING USC UPSTATE
USC Upstate comes into Friday's matchup following a win against Western Carolina, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 16-10. The Spartans have started the 2025 season with an overall record of 4-3, including a 4-2 record at home. USC Upstate began the year with an impressive win over Boston College, 10-7, and is currently in the midst of a three-game win streak. Junior Wylie Waters was the standout player for the Spartans in its most recent matchup against Western Carolina, recording four RBI, three hits and two runs.
Offensive players to watch out for include sophomore Vance Sheahan and redshirt-sophomore Scott Newman. Sheahan has earned a team-high .471 batting average (16-34), adding seven runs, six RBI, five two-baggers and one home run. Newman is tied for a team high with nine RBI and sits at the top for runs (10). He has also posted eight hits on the season with three dingers. The top pitcher for USC Upstate is freshman Max Kaplan, who has two appearances on the year, with a total of 16 strikeouts and only three hits allowed. His overall earned run average sits at zero.
MATCHUP HISTORY
This weekend marks the first time UMass Lowell and USC Upstate will be meeting.
