SAINT PETER'S (0-0) at TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO (0-0)
Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16, 12 p.m.
Roadrunner Field, San Antonio, Texas
opening pitch… The Saint Peter's baseball team opens up its 2014 season at the University of Texas at San Antonio this weekend. It will be the first-ever series between the two teams.
the word on the roadrunners… The University of Texas at San Antonio is coming off a 35-25 overall season and 15-11 in league play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Senior IF RJ Perucki paced the Roadrunners last season with a .350 batting average, 84 hits, 49 runs scored, 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 48 RBIs. Senior IF Mike Warren ranks fourth on the team with a .318 batting average, 69 hits, 43 runs scored, 11 doubles, three homers and 29 RBIs while Horacio Correa III was fifth on the team with a .304 batting average, 70 hits, 31 runs scored, nine doubles, a homer and 37 RBIs. Sophomore RHP paced the pitching staff with a 9-5 record, a 3.40 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 106.0 innings pitched while senior LHP Michael Kraft was second on the team with a 5-5 record, a 4.10 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 68.0 innings pitched.
next on tap… Saint Peter's heads to the Wake Forest Tournament on Feb. 28-Mar. 2. The Peacocks will open the tournament against Saint Louis and will also play Stony Brook and host Wake Forest in the three-day tournament.
smith honored… Senior catcher Jim Smith was named to the All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason team. Smith, who was named to the All-MAAC second team last season, was second on the team with a .285 batting average, 37 hits, 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, a homer and 25 RBIs in his junior campaign. Smith was the team's top hitter in league play, boasting a .318 batting average with 21 hits, 12 runs scored, three doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs. Behind the plate, the junior threw out 33 of the 49 runners attempting to steal to boast a 40.2 percentage.
preseason poll… The Peacocks baseball team was tabbed ninth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Canisius, the defending MAAC Tournament champions, were tabbed as the preseason favorite, edging newcomer Monmouth by 14 points in the poll. Rider and Siena, who both made the MAAC Tournament last season were selected 3-4 in the poll while Marist, Fairfield, Manhattan, Niagara, Saint Peter's, Iona and Quinnipiac round out the 11-team poll. Monmouth and Quinnipiac both joined the league this season after playing in the Northeast Conference last season.
league changed for 2014… Monmouth and Quinnipiac both joined the MAAC in 2014 after playing in the Northeast Conference last season. In addition, the league has expanded the playoffs from four teams to six squads due to the unbalanced circuit schedule. The MAAC Tournament will be held at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, N.J., on May 21-25. The Top-6 teams will advance to the tournament.
New to the flock… Freshmen AJ Celentano, DJ Nozza, Steven Price, Brennan Rowe, Paul Schifilliti, Kevin Soriano, junior Chris Hugg and graduate student Frank Morris each joined the team in 2014. Morris comes to Saint Peter's from Seton Hall.
