Baseball
MAINE vs. UMASS LOWELL
Time, site: Friday, 2 p.m., Sunday, noon (tentative); Mahaney Diamond, Orono
Records: UMaine 6-13 (0-0 America East), UML 10-8 (1-1)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 7-1, UMaine 7-4 on 5/1/16
Key players: Maine — C Chris Bec (.367 batting average, 1 home run, 9 runs batted in, 5 stolen bases), 3B Danny Casals (.276-1-5-5), CF Brandon Vicens (.246-0-6), RF Tyler Schwanz (.230-2-5); UML — CF Chris Sharpe (.373-6-13-5), C Austin Young (.333-2-9), LF Colby Maiola (.313-2-18-4), 1B Steve Passatempo (.290-1-11)
Possible Pitching matchups — UMaine: RH Justin Courtney (2-2, 4.66 earned run average, 26 strikeouts), RH Jonah Normandeau (0-2, 4.68, 19), RH Nick Silva (1-1, 5.18, 18); UML: RH Andrew Ryan (2-2, 3.45, 23), RH Colin Duffley (3-1, 2.15, 34), RH Steve Xirinachs (1-1, 5.84, 7)
Game notes: The Black Bears get an unexpected home series thanks to the Mahaney Diamond FieldTurf and some elbow grease. UML will be the “home” team and bat last in all games. UMaine has lost seven straight and nine of its last 10, including last weekend’s three-game sweep by No. 9 St. John’s. The River Hawks are coming off a split of an AE doubleheader with Binghamton played in Connecticut last Saturday. UML has dropped two of its last three after winning five in a row. UMaine’s .239 team batting average trails the conference rankings as does its 68 runs scored (3.6 rpg). UML’s Duffley has been among the league’s most effective starters to date. The River Hawks have manufactured nearly six runs per contest (5.8 rpg). UMaine expects junior right-hander John Arel to be available for limited duty after missing the first 19 games with bone spurs.