Springfield, Mass., March 9, 2006– Mark Simeone will be kicking off his 10th season as Head Coach of the Springfield College baseball team like he does every year, in the sun. Springfield traditionally begins play during the school’s spring intersession in Orlando, Florida. This year the Pride move to Phoenix, Arizona and will kick off its season Monday, March 13 versus McDaniel College.
Springfield is returning 10 seniors from last year’s squad that finished 20-15 overall. SC ended on a sour note a year ago, losing its last two games in the league tournament.
Springfield’s strength this year will be in its pitching. The Pride is returning senior ace Matt Rodovick (Stamford, Vt.), senior Carl Longo (Manchester, N.H.), and junior Derek Hodder (Hamden, Conn).
The bullpen will also be strong, with senior Jon Davis (Ludlow, Mass.) making a move from starter to the pen, and Rob Smaldone (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) coming back from a strong 2005 campaign.
Other returnees include James Minor (Methuen, Mass.), Scott Samolewicz (Florence, Mass.), Joe Carlos (Hampden, Mass.), Steve Hunt (West Hartford, Conn.), Derek Yvon (East Longmeadow, Mass.), Tim Dowling (Naugatuck, Conn.), Chris Stack (Albany, N.Y.), Bob Schiaroli (Naugatuck, Conn.), Chris McCarthy (East Longmeadow, Mass.), Adam Tarquini (Fishkill, N.Y.), and Jeff Hewes (Groton, Conn.).
The Pride will kick off its season on Monday, and play a game every day through Sunday. Besides McDaniel, the teams Springfield square off against include, William Paterson, TCNJ, Roger Williams, St. Norbert, Brockport State, Middlebury and Hamline.
Former Springfield College standout Mark Simeone will enter his 17th season as the head baseball coach at his alma mater in 2013 . The reigning NEWMAC Coach of the year is coming off a successful 2012 campaign in which the Pride went 20-15. Read more.