PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – In the final home game of the season for the Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team, the Hawks will welcome the University of Maryland – Baltimore County to the Shore – albeit at a different field than the confines of Perdue Stadium. First pitch with the Retrievers is scheduled for the usual 3 p.m., this time it will happen at Henry S. Parker Field in Salisbury.
 
The last time out against UMBC the Shore was on the wrong end of an offensive explosion by the Retrievers, falling 1-19 with the lone run coming on a double by Ryan Howe to score Jason Brown in the first inning.
 
Reeling Retrievers
 
Since playing the Hawks the first time around the Retrievers have not been playing their best baseball of the season, going 4-9 in that span – all but one game has been in the American East Conference.
 
At the plate UMBC has continued to be led by Myles Nicholson, who sits at 37 in the nation with his .387 batting average and his 94^th in on-base with a .470 while stealing 29 of 38 bags attempted.  Against the Hawks the second baseman went two for three at the plate with a walk, scoring three times.
 
Right fielder Ian Diaz is also in the national rankings, drawing 38 walks to put him at 40^th in the nation. Justin Taylor has been another big bat for UMBC, hitting a team leading five home runs and is second for the Retrievers with ten doubles.
 
On the mound just two members of the Retrievers have an ERA under 4.00 in two-way player Luke Johnson, the usual Sunday starter, and reliever Colton Bare. Eight different players have been called on for first pitch this season for UMBC.
 
New Home Hawks
 
After 21 games calling Perdue Stadium home, the Hawks will be calling the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex home for the last Wednesday matinee of the season. At Perdue Stadium the team went 7-14 with all wins coming against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents.
 
As the season has progressed there has been one major consistent at the dish for the Hawks, junior Ryan Howe and his ability to drive in runs, leading the team with 34 RBIs which is good for fourth in the MEAC. Brantley Cutler has been the only other Hawk to play 46 games this season, slashing .271/.363/.438 with a team leading 13 doubles.
 
Dillon Oxyer has been heating up for the Shore, boosting his average from .248 to .271 in the last month while hitting four doubles in the last four games started.
 
The hottest bat on the team over the last three weeks has been freshman Kyle Cincinnati, with a six-game hitting streak, earning himself three straight MEAC Rookie of the Week Awards. He has been lights out behind the plate, not committing a single error since the beginning of April and throwing out three runners.
 
With a four-game set with Delaware State starting on Thursday, the Hawks will have to rely on one of the underclassmen to take the rock against UMBC. Caden Parker and Alec Greenblatt have started multiple games, with Cutler getting his only start last time out against the Retrievers.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @eshawksbase.