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BALTIMORE - With graduation now in the books and campus emptying out, the University of Hartford has just four more athletic contests on the docket for the 2010-11 academic year. The Hartford baseball team will close out the year this weekend, as they visit UMBC for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. Fans can join in a live chat with all the action described in real time from the field on Friday afternoon.

Hartford will be looking to close out a trying season on an upswing in these four games, as they take on a Retriever team which sits a half game back of the Hawks in the America East standings. The Hawks, who have won just one league game all year - a 4-1 victory over Maine on April 17 - sit in fifth place in the conference, a half game ahead of 0-18 UMBC.

Interestingly, despite their woes in America East action, the Retrievers have fared much better out of conference. UMBC has won its last four non-conference games dating back to April 5, and has taken five of its last six games outside the league. The Retrievers are coming off a rain-shortened two-game series sweep at the hands of Albany over the weekend, but took a 13-7 victory over Towson on May 10.

Overall, the Retrievers are 8-35 heading into the weekend. Rick Phillips leads the team with a .347 batting average, having appeared in 30 of the team's 43 games. Rich Conlon is batting .310 with nine doubles and a team-best .386 on-base percentage. No Retriever has more than one home run, with Max Himmelstein and Brian Klukowicz pacing the team with 24 runs batted in apiece.

Austin Drewyer has the best earned run average amongst the team's top starters, posting a 5.36 mark in 80.2 innings of work. He boasts a 2-8 record overall, and has pitched five complete games. Luke DiBlasi has made just three starts in 17 appearances, but his 4.96 ERA is best among qualifying pitchers on UMBC, and he leads the team with 31 strikeouts. Mike Mitchell and Sean Swetnam are also strong candidates to start games against Hartford this weekend.

For the Hawks, there is still some business to attend to despite their elimination from postseason play. Senior Matt Walker has knocked 12 doubles this season, leaving him with 47 during his illustrious Hartford career. With one more, he will break a tie with Ron Accabo and hold the all-time Hartford career doubles record. Walker leads the Hawks' active roster with a .268 batting average.

The Hawks' young pitching staff is also looking to close out the season strong. Sophomore Anthony Mannuccia pitched the first complete game of Hartford's season in that 4-1 victory over Maine, with freshman Kevin Veilleux duplicating the feat last week in a 7-0 triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson. Mannuccia, who has a 6.49 earned run average, leads Hartford with two wins. Veilleux's complete game was his first collegiate victory, and dropped his earned run average to 6.57.

With a sweep this weekend, Hartford could finish a half game better than last season, when it went 5-19 in the America East. Last year, Hartford took one of four games from the Retrievers in a four-game series in West Hartford early in the season. Mike Thatcher got the victory in a 10-2 complete game effort.

Friday's doubleheader gets underway at 1:00 p.m. at Baseball Factory Field on the campus of UMBC. Fans are encouraged to join in the live chat that will be taking place throughout the doubleheader, with commentary and updates live from the field. Saturday's twin bill will get underway at noon.