PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – The Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team will be making the 120-mile trip to Newark, Delaware to play the first half of a home-and-home against the University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium.
 
It will be just the third time the Hawks (11-25, 10-10 MEAC) and Hens (20-13, 5-4 CAA) have met on the diamond, each taking a game apiece – most recently in 2020 where the Shore took a 5-3 win at Delaware.
 
The two teams have played Delaware State and Georgetown as common opponents so far this season, with the Hens losing to the Hornets 18-15 where 17-runs were scored between the teams in the first inning and defeating the Hoyas at home 9-8 with a two-run walk off home run.
 
Being four days since the Hawks played, they will be well rested compared to the Hens who played three this weekend, including on Easter Sunday in New York, and have a game scheduled for Tuesday night against Villanova at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
 
Hitting Hens
 
The Blue Hens are a force at the plate, ranking 21^st in batting average in Division 1 baseball while leading the whole division with 20 triples. They are led by Bryce Greenley with his .403 average with 24 of the Virginia transfer's hits coming in 24 April games – his OPS leads the team with a 1.045 and is 13 for 17 stealing.
 
With five other batters hitting over .300, the Hens will be a test at the plate for the Shore pitching staff. Jake Dunion is second on the team with a .353 average and is currently on a six-game hitting streak, Joseph Carpenter is second on the team with a 1.016 OPS and has an eight-game hitting streak.
 
On the base paths the Hens are led by Dominic Ragazzo and his 16 stolen bags in 18 attempts, he reaches base at a .388 clip and is tied with Greenley with five triples.
 
Eight different Delaware student-athletes have started a game this season, Chris Ludman leading the way with all nine of his appearances being starts while holding a solid 3.39 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 58.1 innings of work. Joey Silan and Wyatt Nelson have been the other two weekend starters for the Hens.
 
The pen has ridden the arms of Dom Velazquez, Zach Klapak and Mike Biasiello – the trio has combined for 82.1 innings pitched with just one start by Velazquez against nationally ranked Maryland.
Shore Searching
 
Since defeating Radford University on March 5, the Hawks are still searching for their second out of conference win to go along with 10 wins in conference. With just four games not in the MEAC left on the schedule, the crunch to make a little wave is drawing tighter for the Shore.
 
Ryan Howe continues to pace the Hawks offense, boosting his average to .342 this past week with seven hits in 16 at-bats against UMBC and Coppin State. The junior leads the team in nearly every hitting category, including home runs, RBIs and total bases and his finding his stroke by hitting two doubles in the last five games.
 
Lefty outfielder Brian Cordell saw his stick die down a bit after a hot streak but continues to get on base with a .394 OBP to lead the team. Brantley Cutler still leads the team in doubles with ten despite not picking up a hit this past week.
 
Noah Covington continues to make his name known across the country, pitching his nation leading fifth complete game against Coppin State on Saturday (April 16), being named MEAC Pitcher of the Week and lowering his ERA to 3.29 after not giving up an earned run in his win. Evan Nibblett also returned to the mound this weekend after nearly a month layoff, he was able to go five while giving up just two earned.
 
Never lacking confidence, Cameron Bratton has slowly shown why the coaching staff has continued to have his back by turning in back-to-back quality starts in his past two. Bratton peaked at an 11.21 ERA in the Norfolk State series but has given up just eight earned over his last 22.1 innings pitched and getting down to a 6.75 ERA.
 
Final Stretch
 
The Hawks are in the final stretch of the season with just twenty games left on the regular season schedule starting with their game against the University of Delaware. Sixteen of those games are in conference and will determine seeding for the upcoming Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
 
Currently Delaware State and Coppin State sit atop the division at 11-9 each while this upcoming weekend opponent Norfolk State is alone in fourth at 9-11 after dropping three of four to the Hornets.
 
Wednesday's (April 20) game will be streamed on FloSports who have a streaming agreement with the Colonial Athletic Conference, plans start at $7.99 a month.
 
For those unable to watch the stream or make the trip, Live Stats will be provided by the University of Delaware and updates will be posted on Twitter via @eshawksbase.