PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – It's a big weekend for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team as it heads into the final two week of Northeast Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at Stonehill College starting on Friday, May 12.
Sitting at seventh in the NEC due to a tiebreaker with Merrimack College, these final six conference games will decide the fate of the Hawks season. The Skyhawks will look to spoil the season, sitting at tenth in the conference.
Honing on the Hawks
This may be the most important weekend for the Hawks, sitting tied for sixth place in the NEC but would lose out on the tiebreaker with Merrimack College after dropping the series at home in March. The Warriors face one of the top teams in the conference, Fairleigh Dickinson University, poising UMES to move back into tournament contention.
In one of the best hitting seasons since 1992,
Brantley Cutler has been a shining star for the Hawks while manning right every game this year. The graduate student is slashing .357/.415/.585 and has damaged the single season record book since 1992, as his tied for second with Brandon McCabe at eight homers and second in RBIs at 45.
Alex McCoy has continued to be a steady presence in the Hawk lineup, holding a .364 OBP and has been successful in 20 of 23 stolen base attempts. He leads the team with 30 runs scored.
At second base,
Luke Myers was recruited for how he flashed the leather which he has done since the day he stepped on campus, but he was never expected to be one of the hardest Hawks to strike out with 26 walks.
On the mound expect to see the usual rotation of
Kyle Speas,
Noah Covington and
Evan Nibblett – one of the best trios in the NEC. Speas has be dominant since taking over as the Friday starter, Covington is one of the top control men in the country and Nibblett simply just is a bulldog who gets through six with a run or two, giving his offense a chance.
In the pen, it's the
Nick Gatton and
Caden Parker show, as Parker owns the teams most saves since 1992 and Gatton is second in appearances.
Scouting the Skyhawks
Playing their first year in Division 1 baseball, Stonehill has put together a 10-32 record and is 6-18 in the NEC, coming off a 1-2 conference loss to Wagner and dropping to the University of Massachusetts 10-6 on Wednesday.
Starting for the Skyhawks will be Pierce Friedman, Jack Iannibelli and Ryan Douglas – with Iannbelli holding the top ERA 3.98 and a 3-2 record. Matt Tyman has been the main man for the Skyhawks, but he will be skipping his normal weekend start after going 6.1 against Wagner.
At the plate it has been the Conor Kiely show, as the senior outfielder leads the team at .361/.447/.408 and has stolen thirteen bases. Redshirt freshman Sam Parks is also a spark, hitting .296/.462/.331 and has been caught just once in 17 stolen base attempts.
How to Follow
First pitch on Friday is expected to come at 3:00 p.m., the Saturday affair at 1:00 p.m. and the getaway game on Sunday at noon. The series will be aired live on NEC Front Row and Live Stats provided by Stonehill with link available on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletic Department website.
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.
