Co-Pitcher of the Week Greenwood helps carry surging Rams

04/29/09 - University of Rhode Island junior starter Nick Greenwood has pitched with success this season, earning his second Atlantic 10 Co-Pitcher of the Week award in his career."It's a good feeling," Greenwood said. "It's nice being recognized for good pitching in a tough conference."

Greenwood is 4-3 this season with an ERA of 4.08. He is currently tied for fifth in the conference with 54 strikeouts.

The Rams have been successful as of late, winning 12 of their last 13 games and their last eleven conference contests. They are at the top of the A-10 standings with a 15-2 record, and are 29-13-1 overall. They boast an 11-1 record at the newly built Bill Beck Field, and haven't lost there since April 4.

"We've been able to come to the field focused," Greenwood said of the Rams' success.

Greenwood added that the entire pitching staff has come full circle since a rough start, and that the hitters have been able to score enough runs to win games.

Last weekend, Greenwood threw a complete-game shutout against St. Bonaventure University in a 6-0 victory.

"It was a big day," Greenwood said. "There were a lot of people there, including President Carothers, so it was nice to pitch well."

Greenwood allowed only three hits and one walk over the course of the game. He had the opposing hitters on their heels for the entire afternoon, striking out four batters along the way.

"I learned they were free swingers after watching them in the first game of the series," Greenwood said. "I played to their aggressiveness, and it worked."

The southpaw has been playing baseball and soccer since the age of five. Greenwood had many offers from other schools for both soccer and baseball, but he felt URI was the best fit.

"It was a tough decision," Greenwood said. "But URI wanted me to play soccer or baseball, and it's a nice distance away from my hometown in Connecticut. You also can't beat being that close to the beach."

Rhody's season has been successful as a whole, including some major upsets early on in the season.

"Beating and shutting out Miami University earlier on this season was the best experience I've had at URI," Greenwood said. "We surprised a lot of people and put our name out there. It was the best win in the school's history, so it was great to be a part of it."

Greenwood said that he would compare himself to Scott Kazmir of the Tampa Bay Rays.

"He's my height and a lefty with a good fastball and curveball," Greenwood said. "Seeing someone with a similar build and style be that successful is truly inspiring."

The Rams have a pivotal weekend coming up, with a three-game home series against Fordham University. Fordham is 9-9 in conference play, so URI will look to take care of them at home and further its first place lead.

"We need to continue to play well in the conference," Greenwood said. "The top two teams get byes in the first round of the tournament, and I think any team could use that rest.