College Baseball

MAINE vs. HARVARD

Time, site: Saturday (2), Sunday (2), noon; McKenna Field, Hartford, Conn.

Records: Maine 15-4 (2-2 America East); Hartford 2-15 (0-4)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 32-9; Maine won 17-1, 4-1 on 5/13/00

Top hitters – Maine: CF Mike Livulpi (.439, 9 RBI, 5 SB), 2B Quin Peel (.413, 2HR, 8 RBI), DH Jon Hambelton (.403, 4HR, 24 RBI), C Joe Drapeau (.364, 5 HR, 25 RBI), LF Mike Ross (.361, 3 HR, 22 RBI); Hartford: 3BRon Acabbo (.373, 3 HR, 10 RBI), 1B Ryan Waldron (.297, 1 HR, 10 RBI), OF Cory Parker (.296, 3 RBI), C Keith Mirante (.292, 4 RBI)

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Maine Black Bears Hartford Hawks

ERA W-L K ERA W-L K

LH Rusty Tucker 1.96 2-1 24 RH Jeff Swedberg 7.04 0-2 9

RH Simon Stoner 4.42 2-1 18 RH Jarrett Stawarz 4.29 0-4 14

RH Mike Collar 0.96 4-0 18 LH Brian Mascaro 4.57 1-3 18

RH Mike MacDonald 4.34 2-0 12 RH Scott Roy 4.66 1-1 10

Outlook: The Bears look to sweep their four-game weekend America East series at Hartford. UMaine’s pitching continues to shine, leading the league with a 3.59 ERA. The Bears’ starters are 12-2 with a 2.63 ERA. The struggling Hawks have lost 15 in a row. Hartford has managed only a .248 team batting average and 28 extra-base hits. Drapeau likely will stay behind the plate as Alain Picard recovers from a sore right arm. UMaine, which tops AE with a .327 batting average, has won 18 of the last 21 meetings against the Hawks.