Baseball Set to Open 2020 Campaign Against UMass Lowell

Canisius vs. UMass Lowell
Date: Friday, Feb. 14
Time: 2 p.m.

Date: Saturday, Feb. 15
Time: 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
Time: 11 a.m.

Live Stats: None
Location: Ting Park | Holly Springs, N.C.

Twitter: @GriffsBaseball l #Griffs |#MAACBaseball

The Canisius baseball team opens the 2020 season on Friday, starting off a four-game series with America East opponent UMass Lowell at the neutral site location of Ting Park in Holly Springs, N.C. The two squads will then play a doubleheader on Saturday, before closing the opening weekend with a morning start for Sunday's series finale.

Scouting Canisius
• The Golden Griffins welcome back 21 returnees, led by nine seniors, from last season's MAAC regular-season championship squad that went 24-29 overall and posted a 17-7 mark in conference action, clinching a MAAC Championship berth for a 13th consecutive season.
• In addition to senior outfielder Jake Burlingame earning a selection to the Preseason All-MAAC Team, the Griffs were picked fourth in the conference's preseason coaches' poll released this week.
• 2019 MAAC Coach of the Year Matt Mazurek will rely on Burlingame (17 stolen bases, four home runs) to anchor the lineup with fellow seniors Stephen Bennett and Jacob Victor. Bennett led the all three extra-base hit categories with 10 doubles, five triples and five homers, while Victor was one of the league's top hitters in 2019 with a .292 average and 44 RBI.
• The pitching staff returns key cogs from last year's bullpen, with seniors Will Frank (eight saves and 36 strikeouts over 25.1 innings), Kyle Warner (three saves, 31 strikeouts over 28.1 innings) and Jarod Burmaster (3.86 ERA, 35 innings) all looking at increased roles. Sophomore Andrew Fron is back in the rotation after posting a 4-1 mark over nine starts, which earned him a spot on the 2019 MAAC All-Rookie Team.
• The Blue and Gold's 13 newcomers feature a trio of highly-touted junior-college transfers in Joe Barberio and Vinny Chiarenza from Niagara County CC and Iowa Western product Gibson Krzeminski. Barberio will move to the mound full-time after winning the JuCo Baseball Blog Two-Way Player of the Year with the Thunderwolves, while Chiarenza was an All-American for NCCC and Krzeminski led the Reivers to the championship game of the JUCO Division I World Series.

Scouting UMass Lowell
• The River Hawks are coming off a season that saw the team go 20-36 overall and finish at .500 in conference play with a 12-12 record, placing fourth in the conference. UMass Lowell was picked to finish fifth in the 2020 AE Preseason Coaches' Poll, as the team features 14 newcomers in the form of 12 freshmen and two transfers.
• Led by senior catcher Ciaran Devenney, who hit for .287 last year with seven homers, the River Hawks' lineup will bring back some key components from the 2019 squad. Robert Gallagher broke the single-season school record with 24 steals, doing so as a rookie, while Cam Climo, along with his 33 RBI and five home runs in 2019, returns for his final season.
• Connor Metelski and Joshua Becker are slated to headline the pitching staff, as both right-handers tossed over 50 innings last year and picked up four wins apiece. Metelski logged a 6.79 ERA and 4-6 record over his 13 starts, hurling a pair of complete games. Becker earned five saves over 21 relief appearances, also making two starts and compiling a 4.44 ERA.

Series History and Notes
• This weekend will mark the first time that the two schools have played each other on the diamond.
• The River Hawks are the only team scheduled this season that the Griffs have not faced previously in program history.
• This will be the 12th in the past 15 years that Canisius opens the season in the state of North Carolina and third time in four seasons.
• UMass Lowell is not the only America East program the Blue and Gold will face this season at a neutral site, as the Griffs are set to play a four-game set against Maine March 19-21 at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Orlando, Fla.

Up Next
• For the second-straight year, Canisius will head to Morgantown, W.Va., on the first Tuesday of the season for West Virginia's home opener. The Feb. 18 meeting with the Mountaineers is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Follow the Griffs
• For complete coverage of Canisius baseball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsBaseball (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

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Players Mentioned

#30 Stephen Bennett: 3B; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#2 Jake Burlingame: OF; 5' 10"; Senior; L/R

#36 Jarod Burmaster: RHP; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#26 Will Frank: RHP; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#32 Andrew Fron: RHP; 6' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

#15 Jacob Victor: OF; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#21 Kyle Warner: LHP; 6' 0"; Senior; R/L

#25 Joe Barberio: RHP; 5' 11"; Junior; R/R

#34 Vinny Chiarenza: 1B/OF; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#31 Gibson Krzeminski: OF/3B; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior; S/R

Players Mentioned

#30 Stephen Bennett
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: 3B

#2 Jake Burlingame
: 5' 10"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#36 Jarod Burmaster
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#26 Will Frank
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#32 Andrew Fron
: 6' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#15 Jacob Victor
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#21 Kyle Warner
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/L
: LHP

#25 Joe Barberio
: 5' 11"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#34 Vinny Chiarenza
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: 1B/OF

#31 Gibson Krzeminski
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior; S/R
: OF/3B