The Bryant University baseball team will host the University at Albany for a significant America East Conference series at Conaty Park, beginning Friday, April 10. The three-game set continues through Sunday, with games scheduled for Friday at 3:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday both at 1:00 p.m.
This matchup is important as both teams look to improve their positions in the conference standings. Bryant enters the weekend with a record of 17-13 overall but has lost four of its last five games. The Bulldogs have been challenged offensively recently, averaging just 2.6 runs per game over their last five contests.
Kaden Hilburger is expected to start on Friday for Bryant, making his ninth start of the year. Hilburger has a season earned run average (ERA) of 4.78 over 32 innings pitched and has performed well in conference play with a 3.77 ERA across three starts. Ty Davis is listed as Saturday’s probable starter after pitching four scoreless innings last weekend against Maine and striking out a career-high seven batters.
UAlbany brings one of the most consistent starting rotations in the league, led by Christian Mello and Dylan Banner. Banner was named First Team All-America East last season and currently holds a conference-play ERA of 2.25 this year while consistently pitching deep into games.
Historically, Bryant leads the all-time series against UAlbany with a record of 14-3 and went 5-3 against them during eight meetings in the previous season. Both teams also faced each other twice during last year’s America East Tournament, splitting those matchups.
Key players for Bryant include Casey Wensley, who leads America East in stolen bases this season with nineteen steals—one shy of becoming only the third Bulldog to reach twenty steals in Division I program history—and Hunter Kingsbury, who comes into this weekend on an eleven-game hitting streak.
UAlbany enters play with an overall record of 7-18 but boasts strong performances from reliever Matthew Mariano and hitter Levi McAllister, who posted notable numbers against Bryant last year.
