FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart baseball team returns home to Veterans Park this weekend for a non-conference doubleheader against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) on Saturday. Game one is set to begin at 11 a.m., with game two to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers are riding momentum into the weekend following their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series sweep of the season against Iona. SHU opened the series with a 7-1 win, exploded for 10 runs in the seventh inning to claim game two 11-7, and capped things off with a 3-0 shutout in the finale.
 
Junior Alex Ungar paced the offense, batting .455 on the weekend with five hits including two doubles, a home run, and two RBIs. On the mound, Ryan Parker turned in a dominant performance with seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out three to earn the win in game three. Parker's performance earned him his first MAAC Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday.
 
SCOUTING UMES
UMES enters the weekend with a 5-38 overall record and is coming off a series loss to FDU, dropping the first and third games while winning game two, 10-8.
 
Offensively, the Hawks are led by Jonathan Gonzalez Perez, who owns a .339 batting average with 42 hits, nine doubles, and 22 RBIs on the season. On the mound, Jonah Stepner leads the pitching staff with a 4.66 ERA over 36.2 innings pitched, tallying 30 strikeouts.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Sacred Heart leads the all-time series 5-1, with recent matchups coming during Northeast Conference play in 2023 and 2024. The Pioneers swept the Hawks in May of 2024 with decisive wins of 18-0, 8-4, and 10-5.
 
UP NEXT
The Pioneers return to MAAC play next week with a pivotal home series against Quinnipiac, beginning Thursday, May 15.