Baseball Releases 2005 Slate
    Rossi And Staff Again Schedule Ambitiously for Spring Season
    Scott King
     
    Scott King
      

    Dec. 29, 2004

    2005 Schedule

    Five teams that appeared in the 2004 NCAA Regionals highlight Siena's 2005 baseball schedule, released by head coach Tony Rossi today. The challenging ledger begins with 21 games away from home consisting of two trips to the Sunshine State, a weekend series in Philadelphia and another southern swing to the Carolinas.

    "As always, we have put together a schedule that will test us from the start," Rossi, now in his 37th season said. "We believe this gives us the greatest opportunity to play our best baseball when it matters most--during the conference season and ultimately in the MAAC Championships."

    The season opens with a single game against 2004 NCAA Tournament participant Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach on February 24. A three-game series with Stetson, which is ranked in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Fabulous-40, follows in Deland, Fla.

    The following week, the Saints make the journey back to Orlando to take on regional power Central Florida in a four-game series. The Golden Knights won 47 games in 2004, advancing to the Regional Finals of the NCAA Tournament. They are ranked #24 in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Poll.

    Siena travels to Philadelphia the weekend of March 11 to take on LaSalle and Villanova. The annual southern trips conclude in the Carolinas, where Siena battles UNC-Wilmington, another NCAA Regional Final qualifier that won 40 games, Campbell of the Atlantic Sun Conference, and 40-game winner Coastal Carolina--another school ranked in the Fabulous 40.

    The MAAC opener is optimistically set for March 25 at Niagara. The conference schedule, as always, will be challenging, reaching its zenith in mid-May when Siena hosts archrival Marist on May 14-15 and travels to defending Champion LeMoyne May 19-20.

    Other non-league games of interest include regional clashes with New England powers Connecticut. (3/28), Vermont (4/12) and Massachusetts (5/3).

    "We are excited to get underway," Rossi said. "We lost seven major contributors to graduation, but are excited about what we have returning, and the new recruits we brought in. The program is headed in the right direction.

    Siena finished the 2004 season with a 27-26 record and a 13-12 mark in the MAAC.

     

     

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