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May 4, 2009

BOSTON, MA - The fourth-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team will travel to Gorham, ME to take on top-seeded University of Southern Maine in the first game of the Little East Conference double-elimination tournament on Thursday, May 7 at 12:00 p.m. at USM Baseball Stadium. The Beacons advanced to the second round of the LEC playoffs after winning the first two games of a best-of-three series with fifth-seeded Rhode Island College in a doubleheader on May 2, winning the first game, 10-5, and the nightcap, 7-5.

UMass Boston is currently 19-20 on the season, including an 8-6 mark in LEC play to establish a school-record for conference victories in a season. The Beacons earned a league playoff berth for the fifth straight season. The previous four league tournaments invited the top six teams in the league, prior to this season's eight-team playoff format.

UMass Boston features, perhaps, the most offensively gifted team in school-history with nine starters sporting a .300 or better batting average and six driving in 30 or more runs. The team's .324 batting average is among the best marks in school history, while its total of hits (443), runs batted in (269), doubles (87), bases on balls (148), batters hit by pitch (58) and stolen bases (113) is the most in school annals. The Beacons' lost their first meeting to Southern Maine, 13-12 on April 10, before becoming the first team to shut out the Huskies, in nearly two years, with a 5-0 win in Gorham, ME when they were ranked first in the nation on April 24. UMB is the only team in the country to hold USM to three runs or less this season.

A number of individuals are also having record seasons for UMass Boston, starting with sophomore second baseman Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) who is currently hitting .429 (67-156) on the season to tie for the highest batting mark in school-history, while ranking fifth in the LEC batting race. The second-year player has already set new school-standards for hits (67) and doubles (17), while tying the mark for total bases (94). He has been a real threat on the base paths, stealing 23 bases in 25 attempts for the second-highest total in school-history, while scoring 45 runs and driving in 33 from the number two hole in the batting order. He leads the team with a .603 slugging percentage and his .508 on-base percentage is a testament to his ability to get on base, which has been every game but one this season, via a hit, walk or hit by pitch. Freshman center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) has been named the LEC Rookie of the Week a league-high five times and his hitting .392 (62-158), while setting new UMB rookie records in every significant offensive category. He owns the school-record for runs scored with 52 this season, while hitting four home runs and drawing 23 walks to lead the squad from the leadoff spot. His 16 doubles and 18 stolen bases place him second on the team to go with 34 RBI and a .582 slugging mark. Sophomore shortstop Dan Noonan (Westport, MA) picked up a bat this season after pitching out of the bullpen for his freshman campaign and has responded with a school-record 38 RBI to go with a .374 (52-139) batting average. He's been hit by a pitch a school-record 19 times to place among the nation's leaders and his 13 walks contribute to a .488 on-base percentage to rank second on the team. He's also stolen 16 bases in 20 attempts as one of five players on the team with 10 or more stolen bases. Sophomore catcher Tim Fontaine (Worcester, MA) has also provided a big bat for the Beacons, hitting .331 (52-157) with 35 RBI, 30 runs scored, 10 doubles and a .374 on-base percentage, while leading the league throwing out 17 base runners trying to steal. Senior designated hitter Eric Salvador (Middleboro, MA) has traded the school-record for RBI this season with Noonan and is currently second for UMB with 36 to go with a .324 (48-148) batting mark. He's shown a penchant for getting on base with a .413 on-base mark and then scoring once he's on with 35 runs scored to place third on the team as does his total of 14 doubles. Sophomore first baseman Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) has enjoyed a solid second season, batting .320 (39-122) with 14 doubles, two triples two homers and 30 runs batted in for a .516 slugging percentage and a .391 on-base mark. He has also played an excellent first base, committing just three errors on the season for a .990 fielding percentage. Junior Drew Tambling (Sterling, MA) and senior Ryan Oshima (La Jolla, CA) have both seen time in left field for UMass Boston and each has been a speed threat on the bases. Tambling leads the team with six bunt singles to contribute to a .333 (33-99) batting average, while stealing 11 bases. Oshima also has 11 thefts and a .300 (18-60) batting mark to go with a .405 on-base percentage. Sophomore pitcher Andrew LeBrun (Stoneham, MA) leads the starting pitching staff with a 4.72 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a .267 batting average. He's the only pitcher since May 3, 2007 to shut out Southern Maine, when he limited the Huskies to just six hits on April 24. Senior reliever Anthony Lauretto (Pembroke, MA) has been the team's top pitcher out of the pen, owning a 4.37 ERA in 35 innings, while fanning 25 and walking just nine. The right-hander has sported an impressive 2.19 ERA over his last 11 appearances in 24 2/3 innings and leads the team with a school-record tying four saves, which is good for second in the LEC. -beaconsathletics.com-