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NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – The Niagara baseball team heads back out on the road after a nine-game homestand to face the Rider Broncs on Friday and Saturday.
 
The series will feature a single nine-inning game on Friday that begins at 3:30 p.m. The teams will play a doubleheader that begins with a seven-inning contest at noon on Saturday, followed by a final nine-inning game.
 
Niagara (10-21; 3-7 MAAC) will look for continued strong play from juniors Anthony Firenzi and Jordan Schwartz. Firenzi, the team's leadoff hitter, hit .523 at the plate last week to win his first MAAC Rookie of the Week Award. Schwartz, the ace of the weekend rotation, is 1-0 in his last two starts. He hasn't given up more than two runs and has at least eight strikeouts in those two games against Quinnipiac and Fairfield. Schwartz leads the MAAC with 55 strikeouts on the season, which is 13 more than the pitcher in second place.
 
Rider (9-20; 3-4 MAAC) is coming off of a 9-4 win over Wagner on Wednesday that came on the heels of being swept by Saint Peter's last weekend to move its record to 5-5 in its last 10 games.  Justin Thomas leads the Broncs with a .363 batting average, 11 doubles, two triples, three homeruns, and 27 RBIs. Kurt Sowa is expected to be first up for the weekend rotation and has a 3.26 ERA and a 2-4 record in eight starts this season.