Baseball travels to take on in-state foe CCSU

After taking two of three in last weekend’s series against Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, the UConn baseball team will play its first game of the season in the Nutmeg State on Tuesday, as the Huskies head to New Britain to take on Central Connecticut State. The game will be played at Balf-Savin Field at 3 p.m., and can be heard on 91.7 FM WHUS or online at whus.org.

UConn (8-4, 1-0 Big East) has gotten off to a hot start in 2013. The Huskies dropped two of their first three games of the season, but have gone 7-2 since, which includes winning six of its last seven. UConn was on a six-game winning streak going into the final game of the SHSU, but the Bearcats hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to snap the streak.

Central Connecticut (4-3) is coming off a 6-4 victory against Villanova on Sunday. The Blue Devils will play their first home game on Tuesday against the Huskies.

UConn’s offense is led by All-American second baseman LJ Mazzilli. The senior is hitting .404 in 12 games with one home run, nine RBIs and a team-leading 13 runs scored. Mazzilli has also stolen four bases without getting caught this season.

The Huskies are averaging nearly six runs a game while hitting .280 as a team so far this season.

UConn has only had three different pitchers its 12 games this season. Sophomore RHP Carson Cross has pitched the best of UConn’s three starters in the young season, going 3-0 in four starts with a thin 1.37 ERA and a .177 batting average against. Cross also has 20 strikeouts and 10 walks over 26.1 innings of work. Brian Ward (1-1, 3.20 ERA) and Anthony Marzi (1-2, 5.59 ERA) have started UConn’s other eight games.

Marzi is the most-rested of the three starters, as the last time he pitched was on Friday; however, no probable starter was named by the time of publication.

The bullpen has accounted for three of the team’s eight victories.

UConn defeated Central, 7-4, in last season’s edition of the intra-state rivalry in late March. Then-junior starting pitcher Pat Butler went 6.2 innings and gave up three earned in the victory.