The Daily Campus

Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Dan Gindraux The Huskies return to action in Storrs after getting swept by West Virginia last weekend. Despite good outings from their starters, UConn's bullpen failed to close out games.

For the second weekend in a row, the baseball team looks to build on a pair of midweek wins heading into Big East action, as it hosts South Florida at J.O. Christian Field for a three-game set beginning at 3 p.m. today.

The Huskies (9-10, 0-3 Big East) downed in-state rival Yale, 4-3, Wednesday at Yale after beating up on Holy Cross at home on Tuesday for a 9-3 victory in which they pounded out 15 hits. Coach Jim Penders is hopeful that his team will carry their recent success into the weekend.

"We're doing better than Sunday, that's for sure," said Penders. "We're playing better baseball. We got some very good pitching performances and we're driving in runs. It's something positive to build on."

Last weekend's conference-opening series with West Virginia was unkind to the trio of starters at the top of UConn's rotation. Less than stellar work from the Huskies' corps of relievers was largely to blame. Senior righty John Folino was out-pitched by Mountaineers' ace Jarryd Summers in the opener, but a bullpen meltdown saddled sophomore southpaw Elliot Glynn with a loss in game two despite a decent effort. Redshirt sophomore Greg Nappo left with a 4-3 lead in the finale after five effective innings, but the bullpen was once again unable to hold on as West Virginia completed the sweep.

Penders has said all season that he believes in his starters' abilities to execute pitches in tough spots. He's expressed even more confidence in his relief crew, saying on more than one occasion that the Huskies' best chance for success hinges on handing games over to the bullpen as early as the sixth inning.

"I still think our bullpen is a strength," Penders said. "I think our pitching as a whole is a strength. We need to have some good outings from our starters and we have to make pitches and we just need to go out and do it."

The Bulls (14-8, 3-0 Big East) come into Storrs as the winners of seven of their eight contests since March 15. In their most recent outing, they outlasted Bethune-Cookman in a slugfest, 12-8, using a five-run eighth inning to bust open what had been a tight game. Without a single meeting to dwell on from last year's schedule, Penders fully expects the in-conference Bulls to pose a test for the Huskies.

Continued...

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