ORONO, Maine – After opening America East play with a split with Binghamton last weekend, the University of Maine baseball team treks back to New York State to face Stony Brook on Long Island for a three-game weekend series. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at noon, with game two scheduled to last seven innings, while Sunday's finale is set for a noon start, as well. All three games this weekend will be broadcasted on americaeast.tv, while Jim Churchill can be heard locally on WGUY 96.1 FM and on goblackbears.com.
Series Information
Maine Black Bears at Stony Brook Seawolves
Date: March 30-31
Site: Stony Brook, N.Y. | Joe Nathan Field
Records: Maine 2-18 (1-1 AE), Stony Brook 11-8 (3-0 AE)
Probable Rotation
Game 1: Maine RHP
Nick Silva (1-3, 5.40 ERA) | SBU RHP Greg Marino (1-2, 6.67 ERA)
Game 2: Maine RHP
Peter Kemble (1-3, 5.87 ERA) | SBU RHP Brian Herrmann (3-1, 4.71 ERA)
Game 3: Maine RHP
Cody Laweryson (0-2, 4.15 ERA) | SBU RHP Bret Clarke (3-0, 2.40 ERA)
Binghamton Recap
• Maine earned a split in its first action of America East play last weekend, winning game one by a mark of 8-0, while falling 4-1 in the latter half of the twin bill.
•
Nick Silva pitched eight scoreless innings, scattering six hits while striking out a pair in his first win of the season. He earned America East Pitcher of the Week honors after the effort.
•
Hernen Sardinas went 3-for-5 from the plate in game one, driving in three, as he thumped his first home run of the season over the right field wall.
•
Danny Casals drove in two his second home run of the season in game one.
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Brogan Searle-Belanger earned two RBIs in game one, sending home the go-ahead run in the second inning on a sac-fly, while singling home Maine's seventh run of the game in the ninth inning.
•
Kevin Doody's sac-fly in the third inning sent home Maine's lone run of game two.
• Despite being charged with the loss,
Cody Laweryson struck out six in four innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs (four total) in the seven-inning contest.
• Casals reached base in every game over the spring break trip, extending his on-base streak to an impressive 13 games. Sardinas has reached base in nine consecutive games, while Pasic and Ridley have earned a spot on the base paths in their last eight contests.
About Stony Brook
• The Seawolves saw its eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday to Rutgers, falling 6-5 to the Scarlett Knights.
• During the win-streak, Stony Brook outscored its opponents (LIU Brooklyn, UMBC, Army West Point, Sacred Heart) by a mark of 67-28.
• Outfielder Michael Wilson ranks fourth nationally with a .463 batting percentage, seventh in hits per game (1.82), 12
th in RBIs per game (1.41) and eighth in slugging percentage (.821).
• As a team, Stony Brook leads the AE in batting average (.285), doubles (36), runs per game (6.4), among other offensive categories.
• The Seawolves pitching staff has posted a 6.00 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, with an opponents batting average of .280, walking just 66 in 162 innings pitched.
Tough Non-Conference Slate
• According to the NCAA, the Black Bears have had the second toughest schedule in the nation, ranking only behind Oregon.
• Maine's non-conference opponents this season have combined for a 265-134 (.664) record as of March 19
• No. 5 Florida State (17-7)
• Maryland (12-11)
• Liberty (18-6)
• No. 7 Mississippi State (24-3)
• Samford (17-7)
• Alabama (20-6)
• Troy (11-13)
• Maine's RPI ranks at 169 of 299 teams despite a 2-18 record.
The All-Time Series
• Stony Brook leads the all-time series by a count of 51-32, which began in 2002.
• Maine won 1-of-4 meetings in 2018, as Stony Brook handed both AE Tournament losses to Maine to eliminate the Black Bears.
• The Seawolves own a 16-5 record over Maine over the past five seasons.
Spring Break Trip
• Maine picked up its first two wins of the season on its spring break trip, defeating Samford in game two of the series by a score of 6-4, while taking down Binghamton in the America East opener by a score of 8-0 last Sunday
• Pasic led Maine with a .400 batting average over the trip, smacking six singles and earning four walks for a team-high .550 on-base percentage in five games played.
• Sardinas batted .333 on the trip, including a home run against Binghamton. He earned 10 hits, three doubles, driving in three runs.
DeLightful DeLaite
•
Trevor DeLaite has dazzled opposing batters this season, with lefties batting just .150 (3/20) against him and righties hitting at a .175 7/40) clip. He has allowed just three hits with runners on base (3/26).
• He has struck out 23 batters in 17.0 innings pitched, allowing just 10 hits and six earned runs.
• Among America East pitchers, DeLaite ranks sixth in the America East in opposing batting average (.
167), seventh in strikeouts (23).
Laudable Laweryson
• RHP
Cody Laweryson has gotten off to a strong start this season,
• He has allowed six earned runs in 13 innings this season, striking out 16.
• He allowed earned four runs allowed came against two top-10 nationally ranked teams in Florida State and Mississippi State He held a 2018 NCAA regional team and preseason favorite to win the SoCon to zero runs in Samford.
• Two of his four runs he allowed against Binghamton were unearned.
Back in Business
• On May 16, 2018, now redshirt-senior
Caleb Kerbs was diagnosed with non-seminoma testicular cancer.
• Kerbs missed the rest of the season, undergoing surgery on May 25.
• He is batting .203 on the season, and ranks third on the team in runs (7) and is tied for the team lead in walks (10).
• Check out
'Strikeout the Stigma' on goblackbears.com for more info.
Young Cubs
• Several freshmen Black Bears have impressed through 20 games this season.
• Freshman RHP
Nicholas Sinacola has allowed just 14 hits in 17 innings pitched this season, holding opponents to just a .233 batting average. He has struck out 15 batters and earned the America East Conference's first freshman of the week of the season.
•
Jake Roper hit a grand slam on his first collegiate hit against Florida State on Feb. 16 against FSU. He ranks second on the team with six RBIs
AE Rankings
• DeLaite ranks sixth in the America East in opposing batting average (.
167), seventh in strikeouts. (23)
•
Cody Pasic is 10
th best in the conference in on-base percentage (0.423)
•
Kemble and Sinacola are tied for fifth in strikeouts looking (7).
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Danny Casals and Kerbs are tied for the second in the AE in HBP (4).
The Bear Facts
• Maine boasts six seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores and 12 freshmen among its roster of 32 players.
• Maine was tabbed to finished fourth in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Six Black Bears return in 2019 that have started at least 30 games, including
Hernen Sardinas,
Cody Pasic,
Danny Casals,
Kevin Doody,
Caleb Kerbs and
Colin Ridley.
• The Black Bears return three America East all-conference selections in
Danny Casals (first team),
Hernen Sardinas (second team) and
Matt Geoffrion (all-rookie). Maine had two players drafted in the 2018 MLB draft, with
Jeremy Pena (3rd round. 102nd overall) and
Christopher Bec (5th round, 146th overall) going within the top 150 picks.
• Maine went 20-34 last season and finished in sixth place in the America East regular season standings with an 12-12 record, before fighting its way to day three of the America East Championship after falling in its opening game.
• Head Coach
Nick Derba enters his third season at the helm of the Black Bears, holding a 45-63 overall record. Maine advanced to the America East Championship game in his first season.
Hall of Famers
• On Dec. 2, 2018, Assistant Coach
John Schiffner and UMaine alumnus Mark Sweeney were both inducted into the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame.
• Schiffner is the winningest manager in Cape Cod League History, coaching the Chatham, A's/Anglers to 541 regular season wins and 16 playoff appearances. He has coached 39 first round picks and over 125 of his former players have reached the big leagues, including Evan Longoria, Andrew Miller, Kris Bryant, and Todd Frazier. Head Coach
Nick Derba played for Schiffner from 2004 to 2006 for the Anglers.
• Mark Sweeney, a 14-year MLB vet, played for seven different teams, ranking second all-time in MLB history with 175 career pinch hits and first all-time with 102 pinch hit RBIs. He still holds 21 school records at UMaine, including, career hits (328), career doubles (66), career home runs (52), career RBIs (211), total bases (568), slugging percentage (.663). He earned All-America honors in. 1988, 1990. And 1991. He was inducted to the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Sweeney led the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to back-to-back Cape Cod league titles in 1989 and 1990, earning Cape Cod Playoff MVP honors in 1989.
Legends Weekend
• Maine will welcome back and honor the 1991 team on to campus on the weekend of April 20-21 when Maine takes on UMass in a four-game non-conference series.
• The 1991 Black Bears baseball team set a school record with 48 wins, winning the America East and ECAC championship. The 1991 Black Bears hosted the most recent NCAA Regional at Mahaney Diamond, falling in the title game to Clemson. Sweeney earned the America East Player of the Year after hitting .387 with a .644 slugging percentage. Larry Thomas was selected as the America East Pitcher of the Year, striking out a school record 108 batters in just 99.1 innings pitched. Both Sweeney and Thomas were elected as All-Americans following the season.
• Maine Softball will honor the ECAC champion 1984 and 1987 teams that same weekend.
The 136th Season
• UMaine is embarking on its 136th season of play with the 2019 season, with the Black Bears first having played during the 1881 season.
• After 135 seasons, UMaine held an overall record of 1978-1579-17 and had made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven College World Series appearances.
• There have been two canceled seasons, with UMaine not fielding teams in 1892 and 1944.
•
Nick Derba is the 25th head coach in program history.
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