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News Release
Baseball Looks to Rebound from Weekend with Trip to Delaware on Tuesday
4/9/2012
 Brian Klukowicz is hitting .403 this season |
BALTIMORE, Md. – Coming off a four-game sweep at the hands of America East rival Maine over the weekend, the UMBC baseball team (7-21, 0-4 America East) heads to Delaware on Tuesday looking to change their fortune and reverse a current nine-game losing streak. Delaware took two of three from William Mary this past weekend and has won six of its past eight games. First pitch between the Retrievers and Blue Hens is set for 3 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Freshman Jon Cobo (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) will get the ball for the Retrievers on Tuesday. The southpaw has yet to earn a decision this season, though he has made nine appearances for UMBC, including three starts. Cobo last started nearly two weeks ago on Wed., Mar. 28 against George Washington, giving up three runs on four hits in three innings of work. He was no decisioned when the Retrievers rallied and took the lead with three runs in the seventh. In his last outing, Cobo pitched one scoreless inning against Maine on Sunday.
The two teams only met once last year with Delaware taking an opening day 10-5 decision at the Baseball Factory Field at UMBC. Third baseman Curtis Schickner (East Windsor, N.J./Lawrenceville Prep) led the Retrievers that day, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and one run scored.
Each team scored twice in the first inning, but the Blue Hens took the lead, 3-2, with a single run in the fifth. After the visitors plated three runs in the top of the sixth, Schickner capped a three-run inning in the bottom half with a sac fly to bring UMBC within one, 6-5. Delaware rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth however, to take the game by five runs.
Last year’s game was the first time the two schools had met since 2008 when the Retrievers and Blue Hens each won on the other’s field. The two teams split 2007’s meeting the same way which gives Delaware a slim 3-2 edge in the last five games played.
This season, a trio of seniors is pacing a Retriever offense that is averaging over five runs per game and has already hit more homeruns (13) than last year’s season total (7). Outfielder Brian Klukowicz (Clifton, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep) leads the club with a .403 average (27-for-67) to go along with nine extra base hits while first baseman Max Himmelstein (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) has provided the power leading UMBC in homeruns (6), RBIs (22) and runs scored (23). Currently, he is tied for the America East lead with his six homeruns this season. Schickner has also been a consistent threat for the Retrievers, posting a .329 average (34-for-105) and scoring 11 runs.
Freshman Ian Glassman (Basking Ridge, N.J./Rutgers Prep) has quickly earned a spot in the everyday lineup by hitting .333 (34-for-102) this season with six doubles and one homerun. This past weekend against Maine the rookie went 9-for-17 (.529) in the four-game series while scoring five runs and driving in four more.
DAWG BITS
- Retriever pitchers have recorded at least one strikeout in each game this season. The staff’s single game-high is 11K’s set back on Mar. 14 against Buffalo.
- UMBC has won the last two meetings with the Blue Hens played in the First State, both by one run. The Retrievers claimed a 9-8 win in March of 2007 and followed it with a 12-11 victory the next year.
- The Retrievers have picked up at least five hits in each of the last 20 games after being two-hit by Towson on Mar. 7.
- UMBC has hit at least one homerun in 19 of its 28 games this season. The Retrievers are 4-2 when hitting one homerun but 0-3 when hitting two or more in a single game.
- Schickner is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with runners in scoring position this season.
- Himmeltein is batting .563 (9-for-16) when he leads off an inning while freshman Vince Corbi (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) is just behind at .529 (9-for-17).