Preview: Canisius Golden Griffins at Delaware Blue Hens

NEWARK, Del. (Interstat) — The Delaware Blue Hens will look to improve their record at home when they host the Canisius Golden Griffins in non-conference baseball action Friday at Bob Hannah Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon. The forecast calls for cloudy skies and a temperature near 64 degrees.

Delaware (5-8) returns home after a 7-3 midweek loss to Maryland on Wednesday. The Blue Hens have found more success in Newark, having won five of their last six home games, including a three-game sweep of Rider last weekend.

The Blue Hens are projected to have a strong advantage. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 6-2 Delaware victory, while its ELO rating system gives the Blue Hens a 70.9% probability to win.

A key player for Delaware will be pitcher Nicholas Bilotto, who delivered a solid relief appearance against Maryland, allowing one earned run on three hits over 3 2/3 innings while striking out four.

Canisius (2-7) seeks to rebound from a 16-7 road loss at Towson on Sunday. The Golden Griffins’ offense has struggled for consistency, scoring three or fewer runs in five of their nine games.

Designated hitter Bennett Cox has been a bright spot for Canisius. He is coming off a 3-for-5 performance with a home run and two RBIs in the loss to Towson. Over his last six games, Cox is batting .333 (8-for-24) with two extra-base hits.

On the mound, the Golden Griffins will hope for a repeat of the pitching that secured wins of 4-2 and 3-2 at Towson on Feb. 27-28. Relievers Brian Smith and Weston Elkovitch combined for four scoreless innings in Sunday’s contest despite the lopsided final score.

This game opens a three-game weekend series between the programs. They will meet again Saturday and Sunday in Newark before Delaware hosts Penn on Tuesday. Canisius continues its road swing with a series at Mount Saint Mary’s next weekend.