March 17, 2005

BRADENTON, Fla. - The University of Rhode Island baseball had a game cancelled due to the weather for the fifth time this season on Thursday, giving the Rams their third-straight off-day in Florida.

It was the second time the Rams had a game washed out in Florida, including their series finale with nationally ranked Florida on Feb. 27.

Rhode Island had played six games in four days before having two scheduled off days. Heavy rain in the Bradenton area Thursday led to the cancellation of Rhody's match-up with Fairleigh Dickinson, but the weather should clear and allow the Rams to face Miami (Ohio) in a doubleheader Friday night beginning at 5:15 p.m.

The Redhawks are 7-7 overall, having won three-straight and four of their last five. Miami had its game Thursday against Bucknell rained out, but picked up two wins Wednesday, with a 10-4 win over Fairleigh Dickinson and a 14-2 victory over Illinois State. The Redhawks did lose Massachusetts 4-0 on Monday.

Rhode Island, which is picked to win the Atlantic 10 Championship this season by several national publications, finds itself off to a 1-7 start. The Rams one victory came against SEC power Kentucky on Sunday and the Rams have dropped three games by two runs or less, including two one-run setbacks.

Two of the Rams losses came to then No. 12 ranked Florida, including a 5-4 loss in the season opener, and six of the Rams' seven losses have come to teams with winnng records.

Rhode Island did start 0-6 in each of the past two seasons and the Rams turned things around soon after, leading to back-to-back Atlantic 10 East Division titles, including a conference regular-season crown and school-record 35 wins in 2004.

Rhode Island wraps-up its Florida trip on Saturday against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.