FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 10, 2004

Rhode Island College Baseball Update #7

(19-14 Overall; 6-8 in the Little East)

Providence, RI--Head Coach Jay Grenier's team is 19-14 overall and 6-8 in the Little East Conference. In their only action last week, the Anchormen came away with a doubleheader sweep of LEC foe UMass-Boston, 12-2 and 8-0, on May 8. RIC is now on an eight-game winning streak, which is the most consecutive games won by the Anchormen since the 1986 team were victorious in 15 straight contests.

The two victories over UMass-Boston secured a bid to the Little East Conference Tournament for the Anchormen and earned them the fifth seed for the tourney, which will be hosted by Eastern Connecticut. In the opening round, RIC will face second-seeded Southern Maine on Wednesday, May 12 at 3:30 p.m.

Junior outfielder/pitcher Brandon White (Foster, RI) has played in 18 games, starting 16 of them. He is batting a team-best .456 with 26 hits, four doubles, five home runs, 13 walks, 20 runs scored and 20 RBI. White leads the team with a .789 slugging percentage and a .579 on-base percentage, while also contributing a .986 fielding percentage. On the mound, White has appeared in nine games, starting six of them. He owns a 2-3 record with a 5.59 ERA. In 37.0 innings pitched, he has struck out 39 batters. At the plate in the doubleheader versus UMass-Boston, White went 5-9 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and six RBI. On the mound in game two, White pitched a complete-game, two-hit, eight strikeout, shutout. He had a perfect game going heading into the bottom of the ninth before a RIC error and two hits broke up the potential perfecto. For his efforts, he was named the LEC’s Pitcher of the Week.

Sophomore outfielder Mike Naylor (Warwick, RI) has played in 33 games, starting all of them. He is batting .409 with 54 hits, 14 doubles, four triples, four home runs, three walks, 32 runs scored and 28 RBI. Naylor owns a .667 slugging percentage, a .434 on-base percentage and a .934 fielding percentage. Naylor is currently on a team-best 19-game hit streak.

Sophomore shortstop Ray De La Cruz (Pawtucket, RI) has played in 31 games, starting all of them. He is batting .394 with 54 hits, eight doubles, three triples, five home runs, seven walks, 38 runs scored and 27 RBI. De La Cruz owns a .606 slugging percentage, a .430 on-base percentage and a .871 fielding percentage.

Junior outfielder Chris Higgins (Swansea, MA) has played in 33 games, starting all of them. He is batting .399 while leading the team with 57 hits, 13 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 42 RBI and 47 runs scored. Higgins also has 12 walks, a .676 slugging percentage, a .435 on-base percentage and a .944 fielding percentage.

Senior first baseman Eric Gibree (Bristol, RI) has played in 30 games, starting 28 of them. Gibree is batting .380 with 41 hits, 11 doubles, four home runs, six walks, 24 runs scored and 24 RBI. Gibree owns a .593 slugging percentage, a .429 on-base percentage and .977 fielding percentage. Gibree now owns the Rhode Island College all-time record for career hits, runs scored and total bases.

Junior pitcher Jim Milano (Johnston, RI) has appeared in 11 games, starting eight of them. He owns a 5-3 record with a team-best 3.72 ERA. In 65.1 innings pitched, he has struck out a team-high 53 batters. Milano pitched a complete-game in the game one victory over UMass-Boston and has now won his last four starts.

Junior pitcher/outfielder Glenn Dusablon (North Smithfield, RI) has played in 31 games, starting all of them. He is batting .368 with 49 hits, nine doubles, one triple, four home runs, 15 walks, 41 runs scored and 34 RBI. Dusablon owns a .541 slugging percentage, a .431 on-base percentage and a .986 fielding percentage. On the mound, Dusablon has appeared in and started four games. He owns a 2-1 record with a 6.84 ERA. In 26.1 innings pitched, he has struck out 21 batters.

Junior first baseman/pitcher Matt Brannon (Cranston, RI) has played in 19 games, starting 17 of them. He is batting .373 with 25 hits, four doubles, two home runs, four walks, 14 runs scored and 14 RBI. Brannon owns a .522 slugging percentage, a .423 on-base percentage and a .986 fielding percentage. On the mound, Brannon has appeared in nine games, starting seven of them. He owns a 4-4 record with a 6.75 ERA. In 44.0 innings pitched, he has struck out 46 batters.

Sophomore pitcher Bruce Taraska (Exeter, RI) has appeared in 13 games. He owns a 2-0 record with a 6.26 ERA. In 27.1 innings pitched, he has struck out 16 batters. Taraska earned two victories last week as a reliever.

Junior infielder Brian Trupiano (Franklin, MA) has played in 18 games, starting seven of them. He is batting .385 with 15 hits, two doubles, two home runs, three walks, 12 runs scored and 13 RBI. Trupiano owns a .590 slugging percentage, a .429 on-base percentage and a .933 fielding percentage.

Junior infielder Mike Luke (Cranston, RI) has played in 19 games, starting 16 of them. He is batting .333 with 19 hits, three doubles, one home run, four walks, 15 runs scored and 14 RBI. Luke owns a .439 slugging percentage, a .412 on-base percentage and a .920 fielding percentage.

Junior infielder Chris Smaldone (Johnston, RI) has played in 23 games, starting 21 of them. He is batting .267 with 23 hits, five doubles, five walks, 15 runs scored and 15 RBI. Smaldone owns a .326 slugging percentage, a .313 on-base percentage and a .794 fielding percentage.

Freshman catcher Tim Henault (East Greenwich, RI) has played in 19 games, starting 17 of them. He is batting .258 with 16 hits, three doubles, one triple, one home run, 11 walks, 16 runs scored and 18 RBI. Henault owns a .387 slugging percentage, a .387 on-base percentage and a .975 fielding percentage.

Junior catcher Eric Kelly (Fall River, MA) has played in 21 games, starting 19 of them. He is batting .240 with 18 hits, four doubles, two home runs, three walks, ten runs scored and 16 RBI. Kelly owns a .373 slugging percentage, a .280 on-base percentage and a .992 fielding percentage.

Junior pitcher Jeremy Edwards (Exeter, RI) has appeared in six games, starting three of them. He owns a 1-2 record with a 4.91 ERA. In 22.0 innings pitched, he has struck out 19 batters.

Sophomore pitcher Wade Briggs (Woonsocket, RI) as appeared in eight games, starting two of them. He owns a 2-1 record with a 8.04 ERA. In 28.0 innings pitched, he has struck out 14 batters.

Freshman outfielder Bobby DeSousa (Fall River, MA) has appeared in one game at the plate. He is batting .500 with one hit and one RBI. DeSousa owns a .500 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage. On the mound, he has appeared in eight games. He owns a 0-0 record with a 9.00 ERA. In 10.0 innings pitched, he has struck out seven batters.

Junior infielder Jamie Aldoupolis (Ashland, MA) has played in 11 games, starting three of them. He is batting .438 with seven hits, three doubles, six walks, five runs scored and three RBI. Aldoupolis owns a .625 slugging percentage, a .591 on-base percentage and a .727 fielding percentage.

Junior catcher/second baseman Anthony Pacitto (Johnston, RI) has played in 13 games, starting six of them. He is batting .233 with seven hits, one double, three walks, five runs scored and three RBI. Pacitto owns a .267 slugging percentage, a .294 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Sophomore second baseman Adolfo Perez (Miami, FL) has played in 19 games, starting 18 of them. He is batting .214 with 12 hits, six doubles, five walks, nine runs scored and five RBI. Perez owns a .321 slugging percentage, a .286 on-base percentage and a .944 fielding percentage.

Freshman pitcher Caleb Barber (Mystic, CT) has appeared in seven games, starting three of them. He owns a 1-0 record with a 15.98 ERA. In 16.1 innings pitched, he has struck out 12 batters.

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