WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley baseball team inched up in national ranking as it enters a weekend Northeast-10 series at home against Franklin Pierce. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday, March 28, at 12 p.m.
 
The nation's eyes on Bentley
Last week Bentley broke into the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) national poll for the first time ever, coming in at No. 25. This week, Bentley moved up to No. 24 with a 16-8 overall record.
 
Torrid pace
Brendan Sencaj has multiple hits in three of his last four games, and his .396 season batting average ranks fourth in the NE10. Furthermore, Sencaj is third in NE10 for home runs (7), first in RBI (37), first in total hits (42), and first in total bases (78).
 
Bentley's spark
Tommy Bolton – the Falcons' shortstop and primary leadoff hitter – is reaching base at a .480 clip this season. That mark ranks sixth in the NE10, and his 31 total hits rank second (behind only Brendan Sencaj).
 
They went to Jared
Graduate student transfer Jared Berardino belted his first two Bentley home runs last week – one against Pace and the other against Adelphi. He has nine multi-hit games this season, including a three-hit game at Adelphi (March 23). Berardino is hitting .297 with a .936 OPS this season.
 
Bullish on the 'pen
Keegan Antelman (1.98 ERA), Timmy Orie (2.70 ERA), Joey Sangiuolo (3.77 ERA), and Connor Gileau (3.86 ERA) have all worked at least 13 innings this season exclusively out of the bullpen. Combined, they have a 3.18 ERA.
 
Scouting Franklin Pierce (9-14, 1-2 NE10)
The Ravens hit a rough patch in early March, losing five consecutive games between games against Queens (N.Y.) and Jefferson. Three of those five losses were by one run. However, Franklin Pierce has won three of its last five games, with victories coming against New Haven and St. Anselm. The team's .227 batting average ranks last in the NE10. Still, the Ravens take advantage of their opportunities on base and lead the conference in steals (40). Nolan Deandrade leads the NE10 in home runs (10), and Kiobel Lugo has a conference-leading 10 steals. The pitching staff has a 5.98 ERA and leads the NE10 in strikeouts (226).