LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO (Sunday Only)
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The Hawks and Black Bears have moved their three-game series to West Hartford due to unplayable field conditions in Orono. Hartford looks to build upon a 2-1 record against the Great Danes in the conference-opening series, while Maine also finished 2-1 in their league opening series against the defending conference champion Stony Brook Seawolves.
Inside the Series: The first game of this weekend's series will be the 109th meeting between Hartford and Maine. The Black Bears hold a commanding 83-25 (.769) advantage in the all-time series, following three-straight seasons of 5-1 series victories. The first meeting between Hartford and Albany came as part of a doubleheader on April 5, 1986, with the Black Bears winning both of those games. Over the last four seasons, Maine has won 18 of the 22 match-ups.
A Glance at the Black Bears: Maine enters the weekend series at Hartford with an 11-12 overall record, including a 2-1 record in conference play with all three of those games against the reigning America East Champion Stony Brook Seawolves. For the season, junior second baseman Troy Black leads Maine with a .373 batting average, hitting safely 25 times in 67 at bats. Junior outfielder Colin Gay holds a team-best 30 hits, while senior shortstop Michael Fransoso has hit safely 29 times. Junior right handed pitcher Tommy Lawrence enters the weekend as the reigning America East Pitcher of the Week, tossing a complete game shutout. He scattered seven in the process of leading the Black Bears to a 1-0 win. For the season, Lawrence is second overall with a 2.80 ERA, allowing 12 runs, 11 earned, on 40 hits over 35.1 innings. Mike Connolly leads the starting rotation with a 2.52 ERA allowing 10 runs, seven earned, on 20 hits in 25.0 innings of work. Lawrence leads the Black Bears with 25 strikeouts.
The Hawks Rotation: Hartford returns to a familiar rotation for their second America East series against the Black Bears. Freshman Kyle Gauthier will make his fourth start and fifth appearance in the opening game on Saturday. Gauthier enters with a 6.64 earned run average after losing his America East debut, 9-6. He allowed five earned runs in six innings against the Great Danes, while striking out a weekend-high eight batters. Junior Brian Hunter is scheduled to pitch the second game of the doubleheader, while sophomore Sean Newcomb will pitch the series finale on Sunday. Hunter, who has been the top starter the three previous weekends, holds a 5.03 ERA, allowing 18 runs, 11 earned, on 16 hits in 19.2 innings of work. Newcomb pitched five perfect innings against the Great Danes, facing 15 batters and recording seven strikeouts. For the season he has made three starts and allowed 14 runs, 11 earned, on 12 hits in 14.2 innings of work.
Last Time Out: The Hawks won their America East opening series 2-1 over the Albany Great Danes last weekend. Hartford dropped its first game, 9-6, before rebounding for a 3-1 decision in the second game and a 15-5 victory in the rubber match on Sunday. For the series, sophomore Brady Sheetz led the Hawks with five hits in 11 at bats for a .455 batting average. He also scored five runs and drove in five others, with one of his five hits going for extra bases. Freshman Adam Touhey finished second with four hits in 10 at bats, driving in three. On the mound, Brian Hunter and Sean Newcomb scored the victories. Hunter finished six innings of work allowing just one unearned run while giving up three hits and striking out seven. Newcomb pitched five perfect innings against the Great Danes, facing the minimum 15 batters and retiring seven of them on strikeouts.
Last Season against Maine: The Hawks and Black Bears met six times in 2012 with Maine posting a 5-1 record against Hartford. The lone victory for Hartford in the two three-game series came in the final game between the two squads with the Hawks posting an 8-7 victory in West Hartford. Overall, Hartford was led by Simon Kudernatsch, who finished with eight hits in 17 total at bats. He also drove in three runs. His classmate, Andy Drexel, finished with a team-high seven RBI, finishing with six hits in 20 at bats. Among the returning players, Brian Estevez led the way with six hits. On the hill, Brian Hunter led Hartford against Maine. He started twice against the Black Bears and allowed nine runs, six earned, on 11 hits in 12.1 innings pitched.
Let's Go Streaking: One Hawk enters the weekend series against Maine with a hitting streak intact, sophomore utility Brady Sheetz. Sheetz hit safely in all three of the games against Albany last weekend, finishing the series 5-of-11 for a .400 average. He also drove in five runs and scored five more. A pair of his teammates had seven-game hit streaks broken last weekend. Freshman Chris DelDebbio saw his streak end in the middle game against the Great Danes, however in each of the last seven games the center fielder has hit safely he has finished with two hits. The second Hawk to have a streak broken last weekend was right fielder Ryan Lukach whose seven-game streak also came to an end in the middle game of the series.
Diaper Dandy's: There wasn't much doubt that Hartford would field a young team in 2013 after welcoming 15 new faces to the dugout. Hartford has played 12 freshmen over their first eight games, six position players and six pitchers. Of those 12, six have had starting roles for coach Justin Blood, including right hander Kyle Gauthier who saw his first start on the hill come against James Madison. In comparison to the rest of the country, the Hawks are tied for seventh for the number of rookies used in 2013. Tennessee leads the nation having utilized 17 freshmen through the first four weeks.
Blood Announces Captains: Second year head coach Justin Blood announced the leadership for his 2013 Hartford Hawks squad, senior Pat Knauth and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Ryan Lukach. Knauth completed his first season with the Hawks in 2012, finishing the season batting .207 with 19 hits and 12 runs batted in. Lukach is a two-time captain as he was one in 2012 despite a season ending injury. Before the injury, Lukach appeared in 11 games including two appearances on the mound. At the plate he finished with eight hits in 343 at bats. On the mound, Lukach made his first start of the season against CSU and earned the victory pitching five innings in a 5-2 win over the Blue Devils.
Blood Named Top-10 Coach Under 40: Hartford head coach Justin Blood, who enters his second season with the Hawks, was one of 10 collegiate coaches named to the Top-10 College Head Coaches Under 40 list by Baseball America. Blood is the youngest of the 10 coaches who made the Top-10 list, which was released on January 3 and is referred to as a rising star in the coaching ranks. In his first season at Hartford, Blood led the Hawks to a 16-40 overall record and a 7-17 mark in conference play. The 16 wins is the most for the Hawks since the 2008 season (18 wins), while under his tutelage a pair of Hawks earned All-Conference Honors with senior Simon Kudernatsch named to the America East Second team All-Conference and freshman Sean Newcomb named to the All-Rookie squad.
What's on the Menu: Head Coach Justin Blood announced a 55-game schedule for the Hawks in 2013. The first 12 games of the year will all be played in the south as the Hawks look to beat out the frigid temperatures and falling snow in the northeast. The Hawks will open up with four games at Campbell and follow that up a week later with four games at James Madison. The final four games to open the season will feature two each against Troy and Southeast Louisiana in Troy, Ala. The 2013 home opener also serves as the conference opener as the Hawks will welcome the Albany Great Danes for the first three league games in what is a 30-game conference schedule. This is the first season that Hartford and the other five conference schools will play a 30-game schedule with each team playing two three-game series, one on each team's home field. The top four teams following the regular season will advance to the 2013 America East Championship which will be played at the home field of the highest seeded team on May 22-24.
What's Coming Back: Junior's James Alfonso and Brian Hunter enter 2013 as the top returners offensively, while Hunter joins sophomore Sean Newcomb as the top returners on the hill for the Hawks. Alfonso and Hunter finished third and fourth on the team last season with .290 and .288 batting averages, respectively. Alfonso, a catcher, led the pair with 53 with 14 of those going for doubles while hitting a pair of home runs. Hunter finished with 49 hits, 13 of which were two baggers while adding a pair of triples and a pair of home runs. Hunter led the two with 21 RBI while Alfonso added 19. On the hill, Newcomb returns from a mid-season season ending injury after leading the way with a 4.17 earned run average. He made nine appearances, all starts, and posted the first no-hitter (seven innings) in school history against Yale. Hunter, who started as a reliever, was thrust into a starting role and pitched a total team-high 65 innings of work, sporting a 4.71 earned run average.
What's New: The Hawks welcome 15 new faces to the dugout in 2013 highlighted by catcher/infielder Billy Walker (Smithfield, R.I.) and infielder Aaron Wilson (Windsor, Conn.) who were named in the top-five newcomers for the America East Conference by Baseball America. After finding success with recruiting from the Nutmeg State at UConn, Coach Blood is bringing in seven Connecticut players in the Class of 2016. Of the remaining eight rookies, two hale from Massachusetts, two from New York and one each from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and the furthest coming from Arizona.
New Digs: The America East Conference on Wednesday announced that it would move away from a home site league championship in 2013 and take the three-day event to LeLacheur Park in Lowel, Mass., home of the Boston Red Sox Single A affiliate Lowell Spinners. LeLacheur Park, which opened in 1998 and holds 4,767 spectators, is also the home site for future America East member UMass Lowell, who announced their transition to Division I and the America East Conference in February. The 2013 America East Championship is scheduled for May 22-24 with May 25 available as a rain or extra day if needed. The top four teams following a 30-game conference regular season will advance to the championship event.
Next on Tap: The Hawks will play a pair of mid-week games before their next conference series with the Connecticut Huskies first on the docket. The Hawks welcome UConn to West Hartford for a 3:00 p.m. start on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Hawks travel to Fairfield for a date with the Stags. The Hawks and Stags are also scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch.
