SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant baseball team heads to Orlando this weekend for a three-game series with Big 12 member UCF. First pitch is set for Friday night at 6:00 p.m.
Bryant opened the 2025 season last weekend at Davidson, splitting a doubleheader on Opening Day. The series finale was canceled due to weather.
The Particulars
Opponent: UCF
Location: Orlando, Fla. (John Euliano Park)
Date and Time: Friday, Feb. 21 - 6:00 PM | Saturday, Feb. 22 - 6:00 PM | Sunday, Feb. 23 - 1:00 PM
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Video: ESPN+ (Friday Only)
Audio: Listen Here
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEBASE
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday - Luke Delongchamp vs Dom Stagliano
Saturday - Michael Belcher vs Wiley Hartley
Sunday - Clay Robbins vs Grant Siegel
- Luke Delongchamp will get the ball on Friday for the Bulldogs. He starting on Opening Day and pitched just one inning as he works back into form for the season.
- Michael Belcher turned in a dominant performance in his first-career start at Davidson, striking out seven over 4.0 perfect innings. He was named the America East Pitcher and Rookie of the Week for his efforts. Belcher struck out the first six batters he faced. It is the best debut start by a freshmen since James Karinchak tossed a three-hit shutout vs Towson in 2015.
- Clay Robbins is set to make his Bryant debut as the game three starter. Robbins is a transfer from Southern Maine (D3) where he went 11-11 with a 4.35 ERA in 31 appearances (27 starts).
- UCF's rotation remains the same following an Opening Weekend in which they combined to allow four runs (three earned) on 11 hits over 13.2 innings.
- Dom Stagliano allowed those four runs on six hits over 3.2 innings on Opening Day. He didn't walk a batter and struck out one.
- Wiley Hartley struck out five and allowed just three hits over 5.0 scoreless. He was 3-3 with a 5.31 ERA in 14 appearances (10 starts) last season.
- Siegel also pitched well on Opening Weekend, striking out four and allowing just two hits over 5.0 scoreless. He is a transfer from West Virginia and started his career at Tulane in 2022.
Bryant vs. UCF
- Bryant and UCF are meeting for the second straight year. Last season, the Bulldogs and Knights were only able to play one game due to heavy rains.
- The Knights won the opener, 12-11, despite a pair of home runs from Gavin Noriega.
- Bryant then took an 8-7 lead in the fifth inning of the second game before heavy rains postponed and eventually canceled the remainder of the game and the series.
- Head coach Ryan Klosterman spent eight years as an assistant at UCF before coming to Bryant in July of 2019.
Bulldog Notes and Notables
- Bryant is coming off a 36-win campaign that ended with the program's fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in DI program history.
- The Bulldogs were picked to repeat by a vote of the league's coaches. Bryant also landed five players on the preseason All-America East team.
- Brandyn Durand had a big Opening Day performance for the Bulldogs, homering twice and finishing with five RBI. It marked his first career multi-homer game and a career high in RBI.
- Pat D'Amico picked up multiple hits in each of his first two games with the Bulldogs. He had a two-run double in game two on Opening Day.
- Zac Zyons carries a 39-game on-base streak into this weekend at UCF.
- Bryant welcomed Kyle Rizy and Jackson Vanesko back after they missed all of 2024 with Tommy John Surgery. Rizy's outing came 672 days after his last, while Vanesko's was 685 days.
- Rizy struck out five over 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, while Vanesko pitched a perfect inning of relief. Rizy earned the win and Vanesko picked up the save.
Scouting the Knights
- UCF opened the year with a sweep of Siena, outscoring the Saints 40-5.
- Braden Calise went 7-for-11 with six runs scored, while Matt Prevesk homered twice and drove in eight.
- The Knights were also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases and committed just one error in 110 chances.