Baseball
After a 24-24 finish last season, the Purple Eagles will look to build on a program that this season includes a balance of 12 freshmen and 8 seniors.
Key Players:
On the mound –
- Cody Eckerson (R-Sr.), Zack Kolodziejski (Sr.), Matt Brash (So.), Nate Mascellino (So.) and Alex Mackinnon (So.).
“Our pitching staff is key. If they pitch every day in and out, it will give us a chance in every game,” said Head Coach Rob McCoy, who is entering his 10th season as the Purple Eagles Head Coach.
In the lineup –
- Greg Cullen (Jr.), Trevor McCauley (R-Sr.), Wyatt Olsen (Sr.) and Owen Dziados (Sr.).
“Positionally, we have in my opinion, the best player in the league in Greg Cullen (named to the preseason All-MAAC team) as well as last year’s MAAC batting champion, Trevor McCauley (also named to the preseason All-MAAC team). Mix in guys like Peter Battaglia, Wyatt Olson, Owen Dziados, Phil Langlois among others and you have very experienced and talented offense-defense combination.”
The team has created an acronym for EAGLES; Excellence, Accountability, Grit, Love, Energy and Selfless.
According to Coach McCoy, these principles will, “guide our day to day interactions with each other and those around us as well as our work and focus toward mastering the process of playing good baseball.”
After their opening weekend of play against Longwood University the Eagles came out with a 1-5 record. In their next matchup they face Marshall University in Huntington, WV on March 9.
Softball
Already nine games into the season, the Purple Eagles hold a record of 5-10*. With a solid mix of upper and underclassmen, the Purple Eagles will this year be looking to get over .500 in conference play where they finished 10-10 last season.
Key Players:
On the mound –
- Sierra Bertrand (Jr.), Karsen Cotton, (Fr.).
Bertrand is the team’s ace and returns for her junior season as the team’s leader in wins, complete games and strikeouts from last season.
“On the mound, Karsen Cotton has already proved she can pitch at this level and I’m so excited to see what else she can do this season. She will definitely be a force for us,” said Bertrand.
In the lineup –
- Kendall Watkins (So.), Jerri Ann Orfano (Jr.), Kelsey Harrigan (Fr.).
“We have a lot of returning talent across the board. Notably, Kendall Watkins and Jerri Ann Orfano for being huge offensive powerhouses and Sarah Trifoso and Rachel Funk being our defensive backbone.”
Bertrand also noted that consistency will be huge for this team, especially finding a way to stay consistent in their work ethic and attitude once any rough patches occur. Bertrand also believes that their strong team chemistry will play a huge part in the team having success this season, and that they will be a team that people should look out for in the MAAC.
The Purple Eagles next game will be on March 7 as they play two games, first vs the University of Pennsylvania and then Western Michigan University.
Niagara Wire 