After a massive series win on the diamond against the Xavier Musketeers at Elliot Ballpark, the UConn baseball team will look to stay hot in two more matchups at home, facing the Bryant Bulldogs on Tuesday and the Maine Black Bears on Wednesday.
The Huskies will look to build on a terrific pitching performance on Saturday and Sunday, holding the Musketeers to just two runs between both of those days. While Connecticut’s offense still has some strides to make at the plate, the weekend series was a massive step in the right direction.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday will be another pair of tests for the Hook C, especially when you consider the season that Bryant has had up to this point. The Bulldogs are sitting at 19-10 ahead of their matchup at Elliot Ballpark and are coming off a dominating performance against Albany on the road. That series showed that this squad can truly put up some strong offensive numbers, scoring a combined 39 runs against the Great Danes. Now, they’ll have to see if they can replicate that success against the Huskies.
UConn’s arms do have a few places to look when considering some weapons with these Bulldogs hitters. At the top of that list stands Gavin Noriega, a senior outfielder who is currently batting .336 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs. In Bryant’s last game of their previous series against Albany, the former Marist transfer was a game changer, totaling four RBIs of his own to help bring his team to victory. He’s been a big reason why this team is so successful in conference play at an 8-1 record.
However, Noriega is not the only player in this outfield that can cause trouble for Connecticut. In fact, this player will be quite familiar to this squad. After opting to transfer from the Hook C program in 2024, Gavin Greger will have the opportunity to face his old team back at Elliot Ballpark for the first time. This season for the Bulldogs, he’s been a mainstay in their lineup with just two fewer at-bats than Noriega’s 107, a .257 average and a team-leading 11 stolen bases.
The Huskies will have some luck on their side with this matchup, as innings leader Tyler Horvat won’t be pitching against UConn after appearing on Sunday in their win against the Great Danes. However, there are plenty of other arms in the bullpen like Jared Burrows, another Connecticut native, that could give these hitters plenty of trouble.
As for what Maine brings to the table compared to Bryant, it’s been more of the opposite. The Black Bears sit at 7-19 and have had some massive struggles throughout the season. The team is coming off a split doubleheader against the New Jersey Institute of Technology and are currently sitting at the bottom of the America East.
They too have some players to look out for, more specifically Zach Martin. He’s sitting fifth in the conference with a .333 batting average, just one spot below Noriega. He may not have a massive amount of plate appearances like the top guys in the America East, but he’s certainly a player who will be looked upon to deliver big if needed.
The next three top hitters for Maine are all big contributors, with Jeremiah Jenkins being the scariest. He leads his team in homers with 12 and is a .309 hitter at first base. Both Myles Sargent and Jake Marquez have also been essential at the plate for this squad.
Ultimately for Connecticut, what the program needs to look for in these two matchups is to continue to make progress. After starting the season at a low point, they’ve made some massive strides since then, especially at the plate, and that’s been a big storyline as they began conference play at Xavier. As these next two games prepare them for another weekend Big East series, this time against St. John’s, they must play to their potential.
First pitch against Bryant will be at 3:05 p.m. on Tuesday, while Wednesday’s game against Maine will also begin at 3:05 p.m. Both games will be available to watch on UConn+.