Baseball
MAINE vs. HARTFORD
Time, site: noon Saturday (2), noon Sunday, Fiondella Field, West Hartford, Connecticut
Records: Maine 11-23 (2-6 America East), Hartford 22-12 (5-7)
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 88-34, Hartford 11-2 on 5/22/15
Key players: Maine — 3B Danny Casals (.320, 3 home runs, 13 runs batted in, 10 stolen bases), DH Brett Chappell (.272-3-16), RF Tyler Schwanz (.266-3-14), C Kevin Stypulkowski (.265-2-15), SS Jeremy Pena (.252-1-9); Hartford — 1B David MacKinnon (.361-2-22), DH Erik Ostberg (.352-1-24), 2B Aaron Wilson (.333-2-9, 10 SB), SS Ben Bengston (.276-3-25)
Pitching matchups: Maine — RH Logan Fullmer (2-1, 1.60 earned run average, 47 strikeouts), RH John Arel (0-6, 4.14, 46 K), RH Chris Murphy (0-2, 7.25, 29 K); Hartford — RH Kyle Gauthier (3-2, 3.80, 25 K), RH Brian Murphy (3-2, 3.54, 25 K), RH Sam McKay (2-2, 3.33, 13 K)
Game notes: The Black Bears have won six of their last seven, albeit two against Division III in-state opponents. UMaine took two of three from UMBC last weekend, but remains in last place in the league standings. The Black Bears have shown better consistency at the plate of late, but still have only a .248 team batting mark. The Hawks have dropped five of their last seven games, including being swept last weekend at Binghamton. Fourth-place Hartford has posted a solid 4.26 team ERA and also is hitting .283, averaging six runs per game. Murphy, a redshirt freshman, gets another start as sophomore Justin Courtney will come out of the bullpen on Sunday. The right-hander from Bangor experienced some shoulder tightness last week and was held out.
Softball
MAINE vs. ALBANY
Time, site: Saturday, 1 p.m. (2), Sunday, noon; Albany, New York
Records: Maine 18-15 (6-2 America East); Albany 27-11 (7-0)
Last meeting: Maine 10-7 on 5/8/15
Key players: Maine — C Janelle Bouchard (.398-2 homers-26 runs batted in), LF-C Rachel Harvey (371-2-13), 3B Maddie Decker (.345-2-16), CF Rachel Carlson (.333-0-13), 3B-OF Alyssa Derrick (.311-7-30), RF Erika Leonard (.301-0-10, 16 stolen bases), SS Felicia Lennon (.290-2-19); Albany — DP Elizabeth Snow (.456-8-37), RF Donna Conrad (.390-3-25), SS Maggie Cocks (.369-4-37), 3b McKenzie Bump (.357-3-18), 1B Mackenzie Cleary (.344-3-19), C Chelsea Henige (.312-4-27), LF Sarah Petzold (.250-2-14)
Pitching matchups: Maine — LH Erin Bogdanovich (5-4, 3.84 earned run average), RH Molly Flowers (8-8, 2.95, 100 strikeouts in 73 ⅔ innings). RH Annie Kennedy (5-3, 2.62); Albany — RH Celeste Verdolivo (13-4, 3.53), RH Devin Durando (13-5, 3.82)
Game notes: The Black Bears could significantly improve their chances to earn the top seed for the America East tournament by winning the series. They took two of three from defending champ Binghamton and split with Stony Brook, who are contenders along with Albany. Albany has three-game series left with Binghamton and Stony Brook. The Great Danes have won seven of the last 10 meetings but the teams split four games last year. Cocks has a six-game hitting streak against Maine (10-for-21, .476). Leonard went 8-for-14 (.571) with five RBIs and five runs scored against the Great Danes last season. The Great Danes are hitting .329 and have averaged 6.4 runs per game. Bogdanovich is 4-0 with an 0.77 ERA in her last four starts. Snow is the conference’s leading hitter.