With five wins in its first six league games, the Sacred Heart University baseball team is off to its hottest start in Northeast Conference play since the 2016 squad opened the conference slate at 6-0. The Pioneers will look to keep things rolling this weekend, when they host first-year NEC program Maryland Eastern Shore in a three-game series. UMES is among the four teams who joined the NEC as associate members from the MEAC for 2023.

Expected wet weather on Saturday has forced the rearrangement of the weekend schedule. The two teams will now meet for an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Friday, with a single game to follow on Sunday at noon. All three games are expected to be contested at Veteran's Park in Bridgeport, Conn.

Please note, fan parking for Veteran's Park is located at 3455 Madison Avenue in Bridgeport. Parking behind John Winthrop Elementary School is exclusively reserved for student-athletes, coaches and gameday staff.

Live audio for all three games will be available via Mixlr. 

LAST TIME OUT
For a while on Wednesday afternoon, it looked like it was time for SHU to pick up its first-ever win against an ACC program. The Pios hammered out 12 hits to plate seven runs in the first four innings, and led No. 17/20 nationally ranked Boston College, 7-3, through five innings.

Then, the bats went quiet. Following a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, Sacred Heart did not record another hit until the top of the ninth inning at Pellagrini Diamond. Meanwhile, BC put together a four-spot in the sixth to tie the game, and eventually walked things off in the last of the ninth. Vince Cimini provided the game-winning single, as the Eagles rallied for an 8-7 victory. 

A LOOK AT THE PIOS
Sacred Heart (9-8, 5-1 NEC) swept away Stonehill last weekend and heads into the weekend on a five-game NEC winning streak. Gino Manicchio is the reigning NEC Rookie of the Week and boasts a .308/.438/.769 slash line with two home runs in limited action so far. Sam Mongelli continues to pace the offense out of the leadoff hole, with a 1.219 OPS while slashing .438/.500/.719 with 11 extra-base hits through 64 at-bats (28-for-64). SHU currently leads the NEC in both batting average (.295) and ERA (6.15).

SCOUTING THE HAWKS
UMES (4-16, 2-4 NEC) dropped its first 10 games of the season, but has gone 4-6 over the next 10, including a series win on the road at LIU last weekend. Brantley Cutler leads the way for the Hawk offense at .300/.350/443 with a pair of dingers through 70 at-bats (21-for-70). UMES has struggled at the plate, as its team slash line of .226/.312/.304 ranks 11^th and last in the NEC in all three categories. The Hawks have managed better from the hill, with a 6.87 ERA and .297 opponent batting average, which rank third and fourth in the NEC, respectively. 

ON THE MOUND
Sacred Heart projected starters:
Friday (Game 1): Jake Babuschak (RHP)
            Season stats: 17.1 IP, 28 H, 16 R (14 ER), 12 BB, 19 K, 7.27 ERA, 2.31 WHIP
            Last start: March 17 vs. STO (ND), 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Friday (Game 2): Jack Kramer (RHP)
            Season stats: 22.1 IP, 23 H, 12 ER, 12 BB, 23 K, 4.84 ERA, 1.57 WHIP
            Last start: March 18 vs. STO (W), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Saturday: Michael Boyian (RHP)
            Season stats: 15.1 IP, 12 H, 5 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 10 K, 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
            Last start: March 18 vs. STO (W), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K 

UMES projected starters:
Friday (Game 1): Noah Covington (RHP)
            Season stats: 33.1 IP, 43 H, 25 R (24 ER), 1 BB, 20 K, 6.48 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
            Last start: March 18 at LIU (W), 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Friday (Game 2): Evan Nibblett (RHP)
            Season stats: 30.2 IP, 30 H, 15 R (14 ER), 7 BB, 18 K, 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
            Last start: March 19 at LIU (W), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Saturday: TBD 

NICE TO MEET YOU
This weekend marks the first-ever meetings between the Pios and the Hawks on the baseball diamond. 

NEXT UP
SHU is on the road all next week, with a 3 p.m. Wednesday contest at Yale and then a three-game NEC series at LIU on March 31 through April 2. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday at LIU Baseball Stadium in Brookville, N.Y.