LOWELL, Mass. – The No. 5 UMass Lowell baseball team (20–29, 10–14 AE) will take on No. 4 Bryant (27-24, 13–11 AE) in the first round of the 2026 America East Baseball Championship at the Bearcats Baseball Complex on Wednesday, May 20, starting at 1:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
UMass Lowell fell in its final conference series of the season against Binghamton, dropping the series finale in a back-and-forth contest, 13–12. The River Hawks finished the regular season at 20–29 overall and 10–14 in America East action, taking fifth in the conference standings ahead of UAlbany and NJIT.
The River Hawks faced an 8–4 setback in game one before retaliating with an 8–4 win in game two. Senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) went 3-for-6 with his first collegiate home run and five RBI in the doubleheader, while senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) went 3-for-5 and recorded the first home run of his River Hawk career, posting three RBI and a run. Starting on the mound in game one, graduate student Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.) pitched 5.0 innings with a strikeout. Senior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) began on the bump in game two, tossing 4.0 innings with six strikeouts. In relief, freshman Tyler Dunlea (Attleboro, Mass.) worked 3.0 strong innings, striking out five batters, while allowing no hits and just one run to earn his second win of the season. Freshman Colin Ducie (Plymouth, Mass.) threw 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout to pick up the first save of his collegiate career, as well.
UMass Lowell dropped its regular-season finale in a 13–12 decision against the Bearcats. Offensively, graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) had a great day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run and a double, while also posting four RBI and two runs. Senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, while junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) knocked two hits with two RBI and two runs, and sophomore Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run and an RBI in the game.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The championship will begin on Wednesday, May 20, with single-elimination play. Game 1 features #4 Bryant against #5 UMass Lowell at 1:00 p.m., followed by Game 2 between #3 Maine and #6 UAlbany at 5:00 p.m.
POSTSEASON HISTORY
The River Hawks' postseason appearance this season marks the sixth time they have made the conference tournament since joining the America East. It's also the second postseason appearance under Head Coach Nick Barese. UMass Lowell made its first appearance in the America East postseason in 2018, falling to the fourth-seeded Stony Brook, 5–6. The River Hawks have made it to the America East Baseball Championship once in 2022, but fell 7–1 against No. 2 Binghamton in the title game.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Following the end of the regular season, redshirt sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) leads the team in batting average (.309), while also ranking first in on-base plus slugging percentage (.890), slugging percentage (.487), hits (59), runs scored (53), and home runs with eight. Cali leads the team overall in triples with two, while freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) ranks first on the team in stolen bases (12). Masse is tied for first on the team in walks (25) with O'Leary, while Masse also has a team-high on-base percentage at .423. Martinez has tallied the most runs batted in on the team with 38, and the senior has also recorded the most doubles on the team (14).
Junior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) leads the team in earned run average (4.52), and holds a team-low in WHIP at 1.44. Graduate student Will Melby Jr. (Munster, Ind.), sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.), sophomore Jake LeFrancois (Worcester, Mass.), and Mucciarone are all tied for the most wins on the team with three. Martinez leads the team overall in saves with four. Mucciarone has also pitched in the most innings (69.2) on the team, while Foley has tossed the most strikeouts on the team at 59.
HIGH-HIT GAMES THIS SEASON (10+ HITS)
Through 49 games this season, the River Hawks have tallied 10+ hits in 21 contests. UMass Lowell holds a 10–11 record in those games, with a season-high 21 hits coming in a non-conference matchup against San Francisco on Saturday, March 7.
MATCHUPS FEATURING 10+ STRIKEOUTS
Across 49 games this season, UMass Lowell has registered 10+ strikeouts in 11 outings, compiling a 6–5 record in those contests. UMass Lowell's highest single-game total during the 2026 season came on Saturday, February 14, when the team notched 12 strikeouts against Morehead State.
HARDEST HITTERS TO PUNCH OUT IN DI COLLEGE BASEBALL
Throughout the season, Joseph DeLanzo has been one of the hardest hitters to strike out in Division I baseball, as the senior leads the nation as the toughest batter to strike out with just eight strikeouts in 176 at-bats (22.0 AB/K rate).
COMPLETE-GAME PERFORMANCES IN DIVISION I BASEBALL
Alfred Mucciarone climbed the NCAA Division I stat leaderboard after logging his second complete game of the season on Friday, May 8, at Maine, as the junior is ranked tied for 12th in the country with two complete games. He threw his first complete game of the season against Maine on Friday, March 20.
AE OVERALL PLAYER STATISTICAL RANKS
With the regular season now complete, Masse is ranked 10th in the America East for on-base percentage at .423. O'Leary is ranked second in the conference for runs scored at 53, while Masse sits right behind him with 51. O'Leary is also ranked seventh in the America East for hits with 59, while Martinez is in 10th with 57. Martinez is tied for eighth in the conference for runs batted in with 38 and tied for third in doubles with 14. Cali is tied for sixth in the America East for triples (2), while O'Leary is tied for sixth in home runs (8) in the conference.
Mucciarone is ranked third in the America East for innings pitched with 69.2, and is ninth in the conference for earned run average at 4.52. Foley has struck out the third most batters in the conference with 59. Melby Jr., LeFrancois, Mucciarone and Geisler are all tied for ninth in the America East for wins with three each. Martinez is currently tied for third in saves with four in the conference.
For overall team rankings in the conference, the River Hawks are ranked third for batting average (.279), and fifth for fielding percentage (.965).
MISCELLANEOUS STATS
The River Hawks have 13 players who have tallied a multi-hit game this season, with the most consistent hitters including O'Leary with 16, Martinez with 15, and DeLanzo, Masse, and Chance each with 14. Only one River Hawk has recorded 5+ hits in a single game in Cal Chance. A total of 16 River Hawks have put together hitting streaks this season, with the longest streak reaching eight games by Martinez, Solorzano, Masse, O'Leary, and Chance. The longest consecutive reached-base streak belongs to Masse at 24 games and counting, with Martinez and Chance each posting streaks of 17 games this year, and Solorzano adding a 12-game stretch.
SCOUTING BRYANT
The Bulldogs concluded their season with a doubleheader against Marist, dropping both contests in a 3–2 and 9–2 outcome. Bryant enters the America East Playoffs at 27–24 overall and 13–11 in league action, finishing in fourth place in the conference.
On the offensive side for the Bulldogs, senior Ellis Garcia leads the team overall in batting average (.342) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.085), while also recording 63 hits, 44 RBI, 37 runs, 13 doubles, 11 home runs, and four triples. Junior Casey Wensley has also been a key piece on offense for Bryant, posting a .318 batting average with 63 hits, 57 runs, 30 RBI, 14 doubles, and five triples. Out of the bullpen, Senior Kaden Hilburger holds a 4.25 earned run average and a 3–2 record in 12 starts over 59.1 innings pitched, tossing 38 strikeouts. Another pitcher to watch for is senior Aidan Vining, who owns a 2.11 earned run average and a .94 WHIP in 14 appearances with a 4–1 record, adding two saves and 36 strikeouts in over 38.1 innings pitched.
MATCHUP HISTORY
The all-time series between UMass Lowell and Bryant sits at 10–13. The River Hawks have been solid at home, posting a 6–5 record, and are 7–8 in conference matchups. Most recently, UMass Lowell fell to Bryant 4–2 on April 26, 2026, as part of a three-game sweep for the Bulldogs. The two teams have met twice in the America East Postseason, with Bryant taking the most recent game on May 23, 2024, in a 8–4 decision, and the River Hawks securing the first meeting on May 24, 2023, in a 6–0 win.
