WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Clinging to hopes of a late-season charge towards the America East Championship, the Hartford baseball team wraps up its home schedule this weekend when it welcomes the Maine Black Bears into Fiondella Field. The three-game series will feature a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday, and will conclude with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Prior to Sunday's game, the four Hartford seniors – Mike Amendola, Jon Ricco, Bob Rogers and Zach Tarner – will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
Hartford sits six games behind fourth-place Albany with just ten games remaining in America East play. Three of those contests will be head-to-head battles between the Hawks and Great Danes in Albany to close out the season. Hartford will also have to leapfrog UMBC, which sits just two games ahead of the Hawks.
First, though, Hartford will have to take care of business against second-place Maine, which comes into Fiondella Field featuring a potent offense that is sporting a team on-base percentage of .399. Six starters and one key reserve can boast on-base percentages of over .400, led by Taylor Lewis, whose .387 batting average is complimented by a .452 on-base percentage. Lewis has 28 extra-base hits this season, including five home runs.
Hartford will recognize its four seniors in the annual Senior Day ceremony prior to Sunday afternoon's game. Mike Amendola spent his first collegiate season at Suffolk Community College before coming to West Hartford, where he has excelled both at the plate and behind the dish for three seasons. Second on the team with a .362 batting average last season, Mike sports a .338 career batting average coming into this weekend series with a chance to crack the Hartford all-time top five in that category. He is also just 12 hits shy of tying Jeff Bagwell for fifth place all time with 165 career base knocks. His 33 career doubles also leaves him within striking range of the all-time top five with 11 games left to play in the regular season.
Jon Ricco has spent four years in the Hartford program, including a redshirt season in 2008. In 105 at bats, Ricco has batted .200 with 21 hits including six for extra bases. Jon has hit his first two career home runs this season, knocking his first on April 10 against UMBC and adding another last weekend against Binghamton. Jon has also been a steady infielder for the Hawks, committing just three errors thus far this season.
Bob Rogers has made 48 appearances on the mound for the Hawks over his four year career, including three starts. With three wins and a save to his credit as a collegian, Bob has struck out 60 batters and pitched to a career ERA of 7.36. This season, Bob has made 12 appearances including 11 out of the bullpen, second-most on the team. He has struck out 14 batters in 24.2 innings pitched.
Zach Tarner has been a reliable option for the team both as a starter and a reliever over his four years in West Hartford. Zach has made 21 career starts in 36 appearances on the mound. With 52 career strikeouts to his credit, Zach earned his first collegiate victory as a freshman against Dartmouth. This season, Zach has appeared in six games, making three starts. He has struck out six in 17.2 innings with a record of 0-2.
Hartford and Maine will get things underway at noon on Saturday with the first pitch of their doubleheader. Tickets for the weekend are still available by calling 860-768-HAWK. They can also be purchased at the gate.
