On Tuesday evening, the UConn baseball team (21-17, 8-4 Big East) will travel to Hartford, Conn. to play the UMass Minutemen (1-22-1, 5-13 Atlantic 10) at Dunkin’ Park.
The Huskies are coming off a weekend series sweep over Seton Hall and head into the game on an eight-game winning streak.
Infielder Tyler Minick was the anchor of UConn’s 4-0 week, with seven hits and six runs scored, earning him a spot on Monday’s Big East Weekly Honor Roll. The sophomore from Reading, Pa. currently bats .346 with 12 home runs and 41 runs batted in.
UMass has hit 29 home runs in 34 games this season, all coming from 11 players. Senior infielder Jack Beverly leads the team with seven homers and bats .269 so far this season.
Sophomore infielder Braden Sullivan has begun his 2025 season off on the right note, with a 15-game streak of reaching base. The Taunton, Mass. native also comes into the game with a four-game hitting streak.
Freshman infielder Reece McCarthy has looked comfortable in his first season in Amherst. The Danville, Pa. native comes into the non-conference rivalry game with a six-game hitting streak. He also has a nine-game streak of reaching base.
Right-handed pitcher Callen Powers will return to his home state of Connecticut with momentum. The sophomore from Haddam Neck dealt a complete game on Saturday to beat George Mason 2-1, earning him the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week honor. He only allowed one run on four hits, three walks and four strikeouts. For the season, Powers has a 3.53 earned run average with 37 strikeouts and a 3-1 record in 51 innings pitched this season.
In Atlantic 10 play, the Minutemen have not fared well. They are in a tie for second-to-last place in the conference with VCU. The only team Massachusetts is truly ahead of is St. Bonaventure, who sits at the bottom at 3-15. That does not impress anyone considering the Atlantic 10 ranks 21st out of all NCAA Division I conferences on Massey Ratings.
According to Massey Ratings, UMass is the lowest-rated team in the conference — the Minutemen rank 274th in the country out of 307 teams.
On the other hand, UConn has recovered well from a slow start in conference play. They are now in a tie for second place with Xavier, with Creighton ahead with a 6-3 Big East record. The Big East’s track record is much better, ranking just inside the top 15. Connecticut ranks 76th in the country according to advanced metrics.
Powers is not the only Connecticut native to return to the Nutmeg State as part of the University of Massachusetts baseball team. Redshirt freshman Anthony Tirado (Chesire), graduate student Michael Aceto (Hamden), true freshmen Gavin O’Brien (Salisbury) and Adam Merritt (West Hartford) will make the trip to Hartford.
It will be the 173rd meeting between the longtime New England rivals, with Connecticut holding a 95-74-3 advantage. The first meeting was held on June 1, 1900, and most recently met last season on April 23. In the latter game, UConn blew out the Minutemen, 13-3. The last time UMass came out on top over the Huskies was on April 19, 2016.
The first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and will be available to watch on UConn+.