Baseball Hosts Maine to Open America East Competition

Baseball welcomed Maine to the America East Conference as the start of their competitive season commenced this week. The Black Bears opened the competition with a three-game series against the home squad, the University of Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers.

The Retrievers are hoping to gain an advantage as they are the only team in the conference that has hosted an America East series before. UMBC is looking to use this experience and their home-field advantage to gain the upper hand in the competition, as the Retrievers currently sit atop the conference rankings.

The Black Bears, however, have the potential to make a statement in the conference with their pitching staff. Maine is led by senior pitcher Cody Laweryson, who has a career record of 28-14 and a 3.11 ERA. Laweryson is backed by a deep bullpen that includes senior Kyle Silva and junior Tyler Schwanz.

The Retrievers counter with a powerful lineup, with four players batting over .300. Senior shortstop Kevin Lachance is one of the top hitters in the conference, leading the Retrievers with a .413 batting average and a .477 on-base percentage.

The Black Bears have had some success against the Retrievers in past meetings, but the Retrievers will be looking to use their home-field advantage to take the series. UMBC has the talent to compete for the America East title, and the Retrievers will be hoping to make the most of their home-field advantage this week.