SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant baseball team returns to America East play this weekend, hosting NJIT in a three-game series that begins on Friday at 3:00 p.m.

This will mark the first of two weekend series between the two programs this season.

The Particulars
Opponent: NJIT
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Friday, Mar. 27 - 3:00 PM | Saturday, Mar. 28 - 1:00 PM | Sunday, Mar. 29 - 1:00 PM
Live Stats: Sidearm 
Video: ESPN+
Game Notes: Bryant
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Probable Starting Pitchers 

Friday - Kaden Hilburger vs Josh Willitts
Saturday -  Dylan Scudder vs Mark Scamardella
Sunday -  TBA vs Tate Jones

• Kaden Hilburger will make his seventh start of the year on Friday and is 1-1 with a 4.98 ERA in 21.2 innings. He has allowed 18 hits, walked six and struck out 20. Hilburger is coming off his best start of the year last week as he allowed just one run on one hit over 6.0 innings on his way to America East Pitcher of the Week honors. He retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. Hilburger has now allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked two and struck out nine over his last two starts (10.0 innings).
• Dylan Scudder has allowed two earned runs or less in three of his last four starts entering this weekend. He tossed 4.2 innings in his lone America East start vs Binghamton and is coming off a season-high four strikeouts in 3.1 innings last week vs Sacred Heart. 
• Bryant has listed its Sunday starter as TBA for this weekend. Jackson Vanesko has started the last five games.
• Josh Willitts gets the ball Friday for NJIT and is 1-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 25.1 innings this year. He has walked 15 and struck out 23. Willitts allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits, walked five and struck out six over 4.0 innings vs UAlbany last Friday.
• A familar face gets the ball on Saturday as Mark Scamardella makes his return to Conaty Park. Scamardella spent five seasons at Bryant (2021-25), appearing in 50 games with a 5.27 ERA. He struck out 70 batters in 70.0 career innings. Scamardella has continued that success at NJIT, entering the weekend at 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .195 off the righty. Scamardella delivered the best outing of his career last week, striking out seven over 5.0 hitless and scoreless innings.
• Jones is coming off his worst outing of the year vs UAlbany last Sunday as he allowed six runs on seven hits over 2.0 innings. He owns a 4.18 ERA, 18 strikeouts and just seven walks in 23.2 innings.

Bryant vs. NJIT

• Bryant owns an 8-5 lead in the all-time series with NJIT. The Bulldogs went 3-1 in four meetings last season.
• The Black and Gold are 5-1 at home against the Highlanders, having won each of the two series played at Conaty Park. Bryant is 2-4 in Newark.
• Last season, Bryant won 2-of-3 at Conaty Park thanks to a dramatic seven-run ninth-inning rally in the series opener. Charlie Saul's walk-off three-run triple capped the rally.
• Bryant and NJIT were seeded 1-2 in the America East Tournament but met in an elimination game on the first day of the tournament. The Bulldogs earned a 4-1 victory.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant enters the weekend at 14-8 overall following a midweek victory at in-state rival Rhode Island. The Bulldogs have won each of their last eight games.
• Bryant has won four of its first six series this season.
• Bryant returns to Conaty Park fresh off a nine-game homestand in which the Bulldogs went 8-1. Bryant outscored its opponents 77-33 and posted 23 doubles, eight triples and nine home runs.
• On the year, ranks second in the league in average, T-1st in doubles (43), first in triples (12), second in home runs (20) and first in stolen bases (65).
• Bryant leads the league with a 4.96 ERA and also ranks first in strikeouts (180) and opponent batting average (.257).
• Bryant ranks in the top 15 nationally in stolen bases per game.
• Casey Wensley leads the America East in average (.368), runs scored (28), hits (32), triples (4) and stolen bases (12).

• Casey Wensley had gone 14-for-24 with six doubles, six RBI and 11 runs scored over his last six games prior to an 0-for-5 showing on Wednesday at URI.
• Ellis Garcia went 8-for-15 with three home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored in five games last week (he was also 0-for-5 on Wednesday). He hit two home runs and tied a DI single-game program record with seven RBI in a win over Sacred Heart.
• Hunter Kingsbury returned from injury in the Binghamton series and has gone 11-for-34 with nine RBI and nine runs scored in the nine games since his return. He hit his second home run on Wednesday at URI.
• Bryant's relief quintet of Aidan Vining, Sean Zaslaw, Owen Birchard, Tommy Flaherty and Justin Dressler continues to shine. Vining earned his third win over the weekend, tossing 3.2 innings of one-run relief. He owns a 0.95 ERA and a 0.58 WHIP.
• Zaslaw has allowed just two runs over his last five appearances, posting 10 strikeouts in 12.0 relief innings.
• Birchard struck out a career-high six in 3.0 innings of relief vs Sacred Heart and has recorded four-straight scoreless outings, striking out 14 batters in his last 7.0 innings.
• Flaherty lowered his ERA to 0.93 with 2.1 scoreless against Sacred Heart. He has allowed just one earned run in 9.2 innings.
• Dressler owns a 2.00 ERA in 9.0 innings of relief, having tossed 4.2 scoreless over his last three appearances.

Scouting the Highlanders

• NJIT enters the weekend at 7-12 overall and 1-2 in America East play.
• The Highlanders dropped 2-of-3 last weekend against UAlbany. 
• NJIT ranks last in the league with a .220 average but second in the league with a 5.12 ERA. 
• Austin Francis is hitting a team-best .344 with 18 RBI, 17 walks and a .483 OBP.
• Ty Sallie has stolen 10 bases.
• Anthony Anzaldi (2.35 ERA, 15.1 IP, 8H, 8BB, 15SO), Tyler Kim (3.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 8BB, 12SO) and Tade Riordan (7.98 ERA, 14.2 IP, 21H, 7BB, 15SO) have been NJIT's top arms out of the bullpen.