Newburgh, N.Y. – After its originally scheduled season opening trip to Maryland was cancelled due to weather last weekend, the Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team is scheduled to open the 2018 season Saturday afternoon with a non-conference doubleheader against Marywood. First pitch at Dutchess Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
 
At A Glance: The Knights are coming off a 2017 season that saw them post a 15-28 overall record and a 9-9 mark against Skyline Conference opponents. The Knights advanced through the loser's bracket to the Skyline Conference Championship Round where it was eventually topped by Maritime.
 
Mount Saint Mary returns 21 players from last season's team and welcomes 13 newcomers to the fold for the 2018 season. The Mount brings back three of its top four hitters from a season ago and needs to replace only two pitchers who made at least nine appearances in 2017.
 
Pitchers: Mount Saint Mary welcomes back senior captain Blake Keenan (Fishkill, N.Y.) who led the staff with three wins and 15 appearances last season as well as classmate Ryan Hayes (Robbinsville, N.J.) who went 2-2 with a pair of saves in his first season on the mound. Sophomore John Santana (Warwick, N.Y.), who will split time between the mound and the field, paced the Knights with 37 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched.
 
The Knights also welcome back Jake Stewart (Wallkill, N.Y.) who worked 46.2 innings as a rookie in 2017. The Knights will lean on senior James McCleary (Floral Park, N.Y.), junior Christian Spano (Mahopac, N.Y.) and sophomores Alexander Maher (Mineola, N.Y.) and Sal Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) for important innings out of the bullpen in 2018.
 
Head Coach Steve Sosler will also turn to a talented crop of newcomers for innings that includes: Anthony Collura (Franklin Square, N.Y.), Andrew Connors (New Windsor, N.Y.), Michael DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.), Robert Worden (Grahamsville, N.Y.) and Nick Zestanakis (Bayside, N.Y.).
 
Catcher: Senior Kevin Edgar (Southampton, N.Y.) leads the catching corps in his second season with the Knights and is coming off a 2017 season that saw him hit .367 in 27 games, scoring 14 runs and driving in 13. Sophomore Braden Perry (Brockport, N.Y.) and senior Tyler Swartz (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) also return for the Knights.
 
Newcomers Jaiden Bonet (Bronx, N.Y.) and Ryan Lutinski (Easton, Conn.) will also vie for time behind the plate for the Mount in 2018.
 
Infield: The Knights welcome back a talented infield group highlighted by Christopher Introcaso (Newburgh, N.Y.) who belted four home runs in 2017 and led the Knights with 24 RBI while hitting .359 in 103 at-bats.
 
Santana hit .323 in his first collegiate season and Nick Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) scored 33 runs and swiped 29 bases for the Knights in 2017. Junior Tom Huvane (Eastchester, N.Y.) drove in 15 runs for the Mount a season ago, with Chris McLaren (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.) driving in 10 runs and Matthew Kozireski (Montgomery, N.Y.) starting 24 games as a freshman. Mount Saint Mary also brings back Kevin Colgan (Islip, N.Y.) who appeared in 25 games in 2017 and Alexander Nova (Miami, Fla.) who started nine contests.
 
Freshman Steven Mirra (Wallingford, Conn.) joins the infield group and will see time at both middle infield spots during his freshman campaign.
 
Outfield: The Knights return three players who saw time in the outfield in 2017 in Joe Galasso (Plainview, N.Y.), Anthony Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) and Michael Doxey (Highland, N.Y.). Doxey started 26 games as a freshman to lead the returners.
 
A talented stall of newcomers brings depth to the position group with the additions Jack Goodwin (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), Justin Maldonado (Cold Spring, N.Y.), Joe Stewart (Valley Stream, N.Y.), Jasper Bradley (Hampton Bays, N.Y.), who saw time in 19 games in 2016, and Steven Bauer (Goshen, N.Y.).
 
A Look At Marywood: The Pacers also opens the 2018 season on Saturday and posted a 14-22 overall record in 2017.
 
What's Next: After Saturday's season opener, the Mount will host Brockport on March 2 at Dutchess Stadium.