Bronx, N.Y. – (March 20, 2025) – The Fordham baseball team continues conference play this weekend, as the Rams welcome the UMass Minutemen to Houlihan Park for a three-game series. The Rams enter the series at 2-1 in Atlantic 10 play after taking the opening series at George Washington, while Massachusetts is 1-2 in league play, having lost two of three at Davidson.
SCOUTING REPORT: Massachusetts is 6-8-1 on the season and playing in their final season as a member of the Atlantic 10. The team is hitting .272 on the year, averaging 8.4 runs per game. The offense has hit 17 home runs this season with Carter Hanson having a team-best five. He also has a .309 batting average and a team-high 15 RBI. Anthony Tirado leads the squad with a .340 average to go with 17 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. On the hill, Robbie O'Connor and Callen Powers are at the top of the rotation. O'Connor is 1-2 in four starts with 18 strikeouts in 20 innings, while Powers is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday - Fordham – RHP
Aidan Dowd (1-2, 5.64 ERA) vs. Massachusetts – RHP Robbie O'Connor (1-2, 5.85 ERA)
Saturday – Fordham – RHP
Mike Rabayda (1-3, 5.32 ERA) vs. Massachusetts – RHP Callen Powers (2-0, 3.86 ERA)
Sunday – Fordham – RHP
Aric Berg (0-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. Massachusetts – TBD
SERIES HISTORY: The Fordham-Massachusetts series is almost dead even entering the weekend, with the Minutemen being one game better at 38-37-1. Fordham has taken the last two series in 2023 and 2024, winning four of six contests. In last year's series,
Aric Berg made two relief appearances, earning a win and a save in 3.1 innings of work, while
Tommy McAndrews hit .385 (5-13) in the series with a home run and three runs scored to lead the offense.
LAST TIME OUT (3/19): Fordham's
Ameer Hasan allowed just one run over 5.2 innings of work, while
Tommy McAndrews hit his first home run of the season, as the Rams topped the Hofstra Pride, 5-2, at University Field in Hempstead, N.Y.
Fordham opened the scoring in the third inning with a pair of runs.
Tim Ford was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Tommy Markey followed with an RBI-double down the right field line and a 1-0 lead. Markey later scored after a pair of wild pitches. Hofstra cut the lead in half in the fourth inning, as Sean Lane connected on a solo home run to left, making it a 2-1 score.
The Rams answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to go up by a 4-1 count. With two out,
Andrew Kanellis,
Daniel Bucciero, and
Matt Dieguez strung three straight singles together to plate a run, while
Tommy McAndrews was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to account for the other run. Fordham picked up another run in the eighth when McAndrews connected on a solo home run to left field, his first of the season, while Tyler Cox had a solo home run in the ninth for Hofstra to cap the scoring with a 5-2 win for the Rams.
That run support was enough for the Fordham pitching staff, as
Ameer Hasan (1-0) led the way, allowing just one run on six hits with three strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Ryan Egan (1.1 IP, H),
Beau Elson (1.0 IP, 2 K), and
Koen Smith (1.0 IP, R, 2 K) closed out the final 3.1 innings for the win.
GOIN' STREAKIN': Fordham is 6-4 over its last ten games, batting .291 with a 4.75 ERA… Outfielder
Andrew Kanellis is swinging a hot bat and is currently on a career-long 10-game hit streak. Over those ten games, he is hitting .500 (19-38) with two doubles, a home run, five stolen bases, and 10 RBI…
Matt Dieguez is hitting .372 (16-43) in his last ten contests with four doubles and seven RBI…
Daniel Bucciero has 14 runs scored to go with eight stolen bases, six doubles, eight RBI, and a .346 average (18-52) in his last 14 games…
Aidan Dowd is 1-1 in his last three starts with a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16 innings…
Mike Rabayda also has 14 strikeouts over his last three starts, allowing a .196 batting average….
Chase Hanawalt has a 0.93 ERA in his last four appearances (9.2 innings) with eight strikeouts and a .129 opponent batting average.
MILESTONES HIT: On Friday, senior
Cian Sahler recorded his 150
th career hit against George Washington. He was joined in the 150-hit club by junior
Daniel Bucciero on Tuesday, reaching the milestone against Maine.
WHO'S NEXT: After this series, Fordham is on the road for the next four games, starting with a mid-week match-up at Wagner on Wednesday, March 26
th at 3:30 PM.
