The Matchup: Towson (2-13) vs. UMass (4-3)
The Games:
--Saturday, March 20, 12 p.m. doubleheader (two nine-inning games)
--Sunday, March 21, 12 p.m. doubleheader (two seven-inning games)
Place: John B. Schuerholz Park – Towson, Md.
Broadcast: FloSports/Towson Sports Network
Live Stats: towsontigers.com
 
TOWSON, Md. – A month into the 2021 season, Towson will finally get its first home weekend, hosting UMass for a four-game series from March 20-21 at Schuerholz Park.
 
Due to inclement weather, the game dates and times have been changed.  The two teams will play a noon doubleheader on each Saturday, March 20^th and Sunday, March 21^st at noon.  The Saturday doubleheader will be two nine-inning games while the Sunday doubleheader will be two seven-inning games.
 
All games will be broadcast via Towson Sports Network and FloSports.
 
13 of the next 15 games for Towson will be at home after playing 14 of its first 15 on the road.
 
Towson, from the Colonial Athletic Association, fell in a midweek contest against Virginia 5-0 on Wednesday to enter at 2-13 overall.  From the Atlantic-10 Conference, UMass defeated Merrimack in two of three games for a 4-3 record.
 
This is the first-ever meeting between Towson and UMass.  Towson has played two A-10 teams already with Saint Joseph's and VCU, and will later play George Mason and Richmond.  UMass has a game played, and more several games planned this season, against CAA member Northeastern.
 
Projected Starting Rotation - Towson:
Game 1 - Josh Seils, RHP (0-1, 11.65 ERA, 17.0 IP, 12/6 K-BB)
Game 2 - Nick Janowicz, RHP (0-0, 7.82 ERA, 12.2 IP, 8/5 K-BB)
Game 3 - Danny Madden, LHP (0-1, 3.54 ERA, 20.1 IP, 18/9 K-BB)
Game 4 - Nick Ramanjulu, RHP (0-3, 10.97 ERA, 10.2 IP, 13/4 K-BB)
Projected Starting Rotation - UMass:
Game 1 - Jack Steele, RHP (2-0, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10/4 K-BB)
Game 2 - Max LeBlanc, RHP (0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 5/5 K-BB)
Game 3 - Tyler Dalton, RHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4/5 K-BB)
Game 4 - Zack Given, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 4/1 K-BB)
 
FIELDS NAMED PRESEASON HM ALL-CAA
Javon Fields was selected as 2021 Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA in the preseason coaches poll.  Fields was previously 2020 Preseason All-CAA and 2019 CAA All-Rookie Team.
 
He has started nearly every game in his Towson career as the team's centerfielder, hitting .293 last season.
 
LAST TIME: TOWSON FALLS AT VIRGINIA
Towson traveled to Charlottesville for a mid-week game at Virginia, falling to the Cavaliers 5-0.
Key stat:
--Four Towson relievers pitched scoreless innings
Top Towson batter:
--#4 Javon Fields: 1-for-3, BB, SB
Top Towson pitcher:
--#40 Andalo Santangelo: 1 IP, 0 R (4 pitches)
 
SEILS, CAMPER NAMED TOP-10 CAA DRAFT CLASS PROSPECTS
Two Tigers, Josh Seils and Burke Camper, were ranked in the top-10 among CAA players in their respective Major League Baseball classes by Perfect Game USA.  Among CAA players, Seils is ninth in the 2021 draft class while Camper is ninth in the 2022 draft class.
 
Seils was eligible for the MLB Draft last year but returned to Towson.  The junior pitcher is Towson's Friday starter, has 100 career strikeouts and threw 6.1 innings with two runs against #7 Miami last year.
 
Camper was one of the CAA's top freshmen last year, hitting .314 with three doubles and 11 RBI in 15 games, split between catcher and designated hitter.
 
GO!
Towson has had a strong start on the basepaths, stealing 33 bases in 38 attempts through the first few weekends.  Javon Fields is a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen bases while Danny Becerra is 7-for-9.  Going into the weekend, Towson has a stolen base in 13 of the last 14 games. As of March 15th, Towson is tied for sixth in DI in total stolen bases.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
14 who suit up for the Black & Gold hail from the Old Line State of Maryland.  This includes several players from the Baltimore metropolitan area: Nick Brown, Alex Parker, Trent Gast-Woodard, Bryce Frederick and Ryan Schechner.
 
BRING BACK THE STAFF...
Towson returns 12 pitchers who accounted for 127.2 of the 128 innings thrown during the 2020 season.  They combined for a 4.29 team ERA under pitching coach Miles Miller, 1.3 points better than in 2019.  Two Tigers, Austin Weber and Nick Ramanjulu, ranked top-10 in the CAA in ERA at 2.94 and 3.22 respectively.
 
...BUT THE LINEUP MAY BE DIFFERENT
Towson routinely shuffled its lineup during the 15 games of 2020 and returns nine of the 13 players who had at least five starts in the order last season.  Outfielder Matt Arceo finished fourth in the CAA with a .395 batting average while outfielder Javon Fields tied for fourth in the league with seven steals, hitting .293.  The biggest departure was starting first baseman Brad Powers, who was third in the CAA with 16 RBI.
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.  Richie Palacios, a third round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #31 rated-prospect in the system, missing 2019 due to shoulder surgery.  Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 after earning FSL All-Star honors in 2019. Gavin Weyman pitched in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League in 2020 for the second straight year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
UMass has played all road games up to this point, coming into Maryland for the first time this season.  Freshman catcher Mike Gervasi has the team's lone home run so far in 2021, hitting .364 with two doubles and seven RBI.  The starter with the best ERA is sophomore right-hander Jack Steele, who is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA, striking out 10 in 10.2 innings.