Pitching Match-Ups/Follow Links
Game 1 (@ Wofford) - Friday, February 21 - 6:00 pm - Live Video | Live Stats
Sr. RHP Nick Massa (0-1; 7.20 ERA; 5.0 IP; 9 K; 2 BB; .333 opp. BA) vs. Jr. RHP Josh Vitus (0-0; 5.40 ERA; 3.1 IP; 2 K; 1 BB; .167 opp. BA)
Game 2 (@ USC Upstate) - Saturday, February 22 - 4:00 pm – Live Audio | Live Stats
Sr. RHP T.J. Stuart (0-0; 1.50 ERA; 6.0 IP; 7 K; 1 BB; .280 opp. BA) vs. So. LHP Ben Ferrer (1-0; 1.23 ERA; 7.1 IP; 13 K; 0 BB; .154 opp. BA)
Game 3 (vs. Presbyterian)- Saturday, February 15 - 1:00 pm - Live Stats
5-Sr. RHP Jacob Knight (1-0; 1.50 ERA; 6.0 IP; 7 K; 3 BB; .150 opp. BA) vs. Sr. LHP Jack Rice (0-1; 9.00 ERA; 2.0 IP; 2 K; 1 BB; .364 opp. BA)
The Teams
Manhattan | 2020 Record: 1-2 | 2019 Record: 26-33 / Postseason: 3rd MAAC
Wofford (SoCon) | 2020 Record: 4-0 | 2019 Record: 36-25 / Postseason: 2nd SoCon
USC Upstate (Big South) | 2020 Record: 3-1 | 2019 Record: 23-30 / Postseason: t-5th Big South
Presbyterian (Big South) | 2020 Record: 0-4 | 2019 Record: 30-29 / Postseason: t-8th Big South
Pitching Stands Out On Opening Weekend
* The Jaspers' rotation of Massa, Stuart and Knight combined to post a 3.18 ERA with 23 strikeouts, against six walks, over 17.0 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .258 average.
* Knight picked up the win over Air Force thanks to fanning seven over 6.0 innings of one-run ball, while yielding just three hits and a run.
* Stuart earned a no-decision, despite striking out seven while scattering just one run, on seven hits and a walk over 6.0 inning of action.
* Massa punched out a career-high nine, highlighted by fanning the side in his first frame of the year, over 5.0 innings.
Offense Battles
* Manhattan hit a solid .284 on the weekend, while striking out just 16 times in its first action of the year.
* Junior Will Trochiano hit .667 in his first action in nearly two years, while graduate student Richie Barrella checked in with a .625 average.
* Freshman Alfredo Delgado posted a .364 average while reaching safely in his first three games as a Jasper.
* MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Nick Cimillo notched a team-leading five RBI, including a pair of two-run hits, while fellow preseason All-MAAC selection Matt Padre batted .333.
Scouting The Teams
Wofford
* The Terriers are a perfect 4-0, after sweeping Binghamton last weekend and besting UNC Asheville on Wednesday.
* Wofford and was picked to finish first in the SoCon by the coaches, and second by the media.
* Through the first four games, Lawson Hill is hitting a team-best .600, while Alec Cargin has a home run and seven RBI.
* John Dempsey (INF) and Hayes Heinecke (LHP) joined Cimillo on the 2019 Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American team.
* Manhattan and Wofford have met four times, with each team winning twice.
USC Upstate
* The Spartans took two-of-three from LIU last weekend, before besting Furman on Tuesday.
* Mike McGuire is in his first year with USC Upstate, after serving the past seven seasons as the head coach at Morehead State.
* The Spartans were tabbed seventh in the Big South.
* Mason Stewart is hitting a team-best .615, with Jeff Taylor checking in at .385 with a triple, home run and five RBI.
Presbyterian
* The Blue Hose and the Jaspers will be meeting for the first time.
* Presbyterian dropped all three games last weekend to Eastern Kentucky, before falling in a midweek match-up with South Carolina.
* The teams will play their neutral match-up at Wofford.
* Graham Mitchell paces the offense with a .400 average, with Landon Shaw checking with a .308 average, home double, one home run and five RBI.
* The Blue Hose were tabbed fifth by the coaches in the preseason Big South Coaches poll.
Did You Know?
* USC Upstate and Presbyterian hail from the same league (Big South) as Campbell, while defeated Quinnipiac in NCAA Regional play last year.
Cimillo Named MAAC Preseason Player Of The Year
* Cimillo was named the Preseason MAAC Player of the Year by the league's 11 head coaches and D1Baseball.Com.
* Cimillo earned 2019 MAAC Rookie of the Year and First Team honors, after batting .350 with 78 hits, 12 doubles, seven home runs and 36 RBI, while posting a .498 slugging percentage and a .417 OBP.
Trio Named Preseason All-MAAC
* Cimillo (OF) was joined on the Preseason All-MAAC Team by junior Matt Padre and sophomore Jonathan Barditch.
* Padre (C) was named to the All-MAAC First Team last year, after batting .279 with 32 runs, 11 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBI.
* Barditch (SS) earned MAAC All-Rookie and All-Tournament Team honors after hitting .293, with 38 runs, seven doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI.
Manhattan Picked Third
* The Jaspers earned three first-place votes and 99 total in the annual preseason poll, en route to being slated to finish in the MAAC. Defending champion Quinnipiac was picked first with 105 points, followed by Fairfield in second with 101 points.
Baseball Back In The Bronx
* The Jaspers will play their entire 2020 home baseball schedule at Van Cortlandt Park, which served as Manhattan's home field until the 2014 season.
* Manhattan won 130 games and lost 34 during a 10 year-period at Van Cortlandt Park from 2005 to 2014. During that decade, the Jaspers won three MAAC championships and reached the NCAA Tournament three times, making it all the way to the Regional Final in 2006.
* In preparation for the 2020 season, Manhattan College has worked with the New York City Parks Department to aerate and overseed the outfield, replace and upgrade the infield, renovate the existing fencing and install new dugouts.
* The infield upgrade included removal of the entire infield area, regrading and installation of new sod and infield skinned mix, a completely rebuilt mound and home plate area and the installation of new bases, home plate and pitching rubber. The upgrade took place within the existing footprint of the field.
* The College is continuing to work with the Parks Department and the various permit holders to address maintenance and future ballpark enhancements.
Coach Cole
* Head Coach Mike Cole begins his third season at the helm of Manhattan, after leading the Jaspers to an impressive third-place finish at the MAAC Tournament. Cole was an assistant for the Jaspers from 2005-2008.
Barrella, Cimillo, Stuart Named Team Captains
* Graduate Student Richie Barrella, Cimillo and Stuart were named tri-captains for the 2020 season.
The Returners
* The Jaspers return 31 letterwinners, including seven starting position players and one starting pitcher. Click HERE for the entire prospectus.
Cole Announces 2020 Schedule
* The Jaspers will play 54 games in the 2020 season, which will consist of 30 non-conference and 24 MAAC games. Additionally, the Jaspers will play 18 games at Van Cortlandt Park, and in the Bronx for the first time since 2014.
* Manhattan will open the 2020 campaign with three games in DeLand, FL, playing twice against Air Force and one against homestanding Stetson.
* The Jaspers welcome UAlbany for their first home series of the year, beginning on Saturday, March 7.
* Manhattan will play eight games against NCAA Regional Teams (Quinnipiac x3, Army West Point x2, CCSU x1, Fordham x1 and Stony Brook x1) and 16 against squads that won at least 30 games.
* The Jaspers will take on teams from 12 conferences during non-conference play: America East, Atlantic Sun, Atlantic 10, Big East, Big South, CAA, Ivy, Mountain West, NEC, Patriot, SoCon and Southland.
* During MAAC play, Manhattan will host Monmouth, Niagara, Quinnipiac and Rider, while playing at Fairfield, Iona, Marist and Siena.
* The Jaspers will not square off with Canisius and Saint Peter's in 2020.
From The Bronx To The Pros
* John Cain became the sixth Jasper in the last four years to ink a contract with a Major League organization, when he signed with the Los Angeles Angels following the conclusion of the season.
* Fabian Pena (25th Round - San Francisco Giants) and Joe Jacques (34th Round - Pittsburgh Pirates) were each selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
* Tom Cosgrove was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 12th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft while Jose Carrera inked a professional deal with the New York Yankees. Additionally, signee Tai Tiedemann was selected by the Texas Rangers in the eighth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
See You In Staten Island
* The 2020 MAAC Baseball Championship will be held at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island, NY for the third-straight year from May 20-23.
What's A Jasper?
* The unique nickname of Manhattan College's athletic teams, the Jaspers, comes from one of the College's most memorable figures, Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., who served as the College's athletic director in the late 19th century. One of the greatest achievements of Brother Jasper was that he brought the then little-known sport of baseball to Manhattan College and became the team's first coach. Since Brother Jasper was also the Prefect of Discipline, he supervised the student fans at Manhattan baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when the college was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy with the team coming to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called timeout and told the students to stand up and stretch for a few minutes until the game resumed. Since the College annually played the New York Giants in the late 1880's and into the 1890's at the old Polo Grounds, the Manhattan College practice of the "seventh inning stretch" spread into the major leagues, where it has now become a time-honored custom practiced by millions of fans annually.
Next Weekend
* Manhattan will play at Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Friday, February 28 at 7:30 pm.