SUFFOLK vs. UMASS BOSTON
Date Time Venue Video Stats Program Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Thursday, March 23 3:30 PM East Boston Memorial Park East Boston, Mass. Playsight GoSuffolkRams.com GoSuffolkRams.com 26-16 April 8, 2023, W, 8-5 Same W1

BOSTON – Suffolk baseball will get its home slate underway Thursday, March 23 with a familiar city rival, UMass Boston, as the Beacons head to East Boston Memorial Park for a 3:30 p.m. tilt. 

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

LAST TIME OUT
Suffolk baseball fell behind early and attempted to play catch-up multiple times but could not shutdown WPI's bats to fall to the Engineers, 13-10, Monday at the New England Baseball Complex. 

MORE READING: Baseball Drops Back-and-Forth Battle at WPI, 13-10

SUFFOLK SCORES

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk sits 4-4 on the year after dropping its New England debut, a 13-10 setback to WPI Monday.  

Harry Painter and Jonny Gilbride led the way offensively for the Rams. Gilbride has brought in a team-best 11 RBI, on 14 hits behind a .412/.476/.647 slash line with a squad-high 12 runs scored. Painter, meanwhile, is hitting .436 and slugging .718 with a team-best 17 hits including five doubles and two homers for 10 RBI to go along with seven runs scored. Both Gilbride and Painter have stolen five bases. 

Ram Nation may see a new starter in the home opener with the usual rotation being saved for the weekend, however, Caleb Piwnick (1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 10 K) and Garret Roberts (2.92 ERA 12.1 IP, 15 K) are both well rested and could see the call tomorrow. 

BEACONS BREAKDOWN
UMass Boston went 2-0 in New England before going 4-4 at the RussMatt Baseball tournament in Central Florida to sit 6-4 on the year. Prior to taking on Suffolk Thursday, the Beacons are scheduled to visit Johnson & Wales Wednesday, March 22.  

Aidan Blake has the hottest bat for UMB with eight RBI on 17 hits, nine of which went for extra bases including six doubles, behind a .459 average. In addition to Blake, three other bats hit over .400 in Drew Metzdorf (.429), Nick Palma (.412) and Breon Parker (.400). Palma has plated a team-best nine runs on 14 hits. Metzdorf owns 15 hits, nearly half extra-base knocks, with six RBI. Parker rounds out the foursome with 14 hits and seven RBI. Blake and Metzdorf have scored the most runs with 13 and 12, respectively.  

With four games over the next three days, including the Little East opener on Friday versus Castleton, UMB will likely save its top arms for conference competition. Ross Dexter (4.11 ERA, 15.1 IP, 17 K), Tim Cianciolo (2.45 ERA, 14.2 IP, 10 K), Dillon Ryan (0.90 ERA, 10.0 IP, 12 K) and Nick Assad (11.57 ERA, 7.0 IP, 3 K) have made up the Beacons' starting rotation thus far. Josh Eastman (4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 K) and Josh Garner (0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 1 K) seem to be UMass Boston's closers. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and UMass Boston have faced one another 40 times. 
• Overall, the Rams sit 25-16 versus the Beacons. 
• Since 2017, Suffolk is 6-3 against UMass Boston. 
• The blue-and-gold split a double feature with UMB a year ago, falling in game one, 14-2, before grabbing the nightcap, 8-5. 
• With Anthony Del Prete as skipper, Suffolk is 4-5 against the Beacons. 
• Suffolk will host UMass Boston for the first time in East Boston and first time since March 27, 2011. 

EYES ON THE GAME

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk has a hectic weekend with a pair of doubleheaders in Eastie on tap. First, the Rams will host Nichols in their CCC debut Saturday, March 25, before entertaining Johnson & Wales Sunday, March 26. Both twinbills have a game one first pitch of 12:00 p.m.