Baseball
February 19, 2007
Projected MAAC champion Dolphins open season Friday at McNeese
State
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Head coach Steve Owens and the Le Moyne College
baseball squad has been picked to finish atop the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference according to Baseball America. The 2006 MAAC
tournament runner-ups open up their 2007 schedule on February 23rd
against three of the Southland Conference's top four teams from
last year.
Nineteen straight road games will kick off the 2007 campaign for
the Dolphins who are coming off a 38-14 record from last season.
The Dolphins won't see conference action until March 24 when it
opens the MAAC schedule on the road against Rider. Le Moyne will
first put cleats to dirt when they take the first against defending
Southland Conference champion McNeese State in a three game weekend
series. A twin bill at Lamar will close out the short opening
month
A busy March will keep Le Moyne rolling as they face Atlantic-10
preseason favorite Charlotte the 9-11. Le Moyne took two of three
last year against the 49ers. The Dolphins will compete in three
games at the Ball State Tournament March 16-18 before opening
conference play against Rider on the 24th.
The Dolphins will first see home turf, if the snow is gone, against MAAC rivals Fairfield March 31-April 1. The Stags are picked sixth in the preseason poll. April is also "New York" month for the Dolphins who won't leave the state all month and play 16 out of 20 games against in-state rivals. Cornell, Marist, Binghamton, and Albany are just a few Empire State teams Le Moyne will be cracking the bat against.
With May brings warm weather and the final stretch of the Dolphin's season. Le Moyne will close out the year with 8 conference games against preseason fourth ranked Siena at home May 5-6, and defending MAAC champion Manhattan 12-13 down in New York City. A short two game series against Iona at Dick Rockwell Field will close out the regular season and if the polls are correct make way for an appearance in the MAAC Conference Tournament May 24-26. The top four teams in the conference make the playoffs which will be played in Fishkill, N.Y.
Le Moyne Opponents:
School, 2006 record, Conference, Preseason Conf. Rank#
McNeese State, 35-20, Southland, 4th
Lamar, 35-23, Southland,1st
Southeastern Louisiana, 23-32, Southland, 9th
UNC-Charlotte, 35-20-1, Atlantic-10,1st
Ball State, 38-22,Mid-American, 4th (West)
Evansville, 43-22, Missouri Valley,2nd
Bowling Green, 26-27, Mid-American, 5th (East)
Rider*, 25-31, MAAC, 5th
Buffalo, 15-37, Mid-American, 6th (East)
Fairfield*, 18-29, MAAC, 6th
Cornell, 10-29, Ivy, 2nd (Gehrig Division)
Canisius*, 18-36, MAAC, 8th
St. Bonaventure, 29-21, Atlantic-10, 4th
Niagara*, 28-26, MAAC, 7th
Albany, 20-32, America East, 5th
St. Peter's*, 10-41, MAAC, 10th
Binghamton, 27-23-1, America East 2nd
Marist*, 24-28, MAAC, 3rd
Siena*, 23-31-1 MAAC, 4th
Manhattan*, 34-23, MAAC 2nd
Iona* 12-42, MAAC, 9th
# According to Baseball America magazine
* Denotes MAAC conference game
[by Jonathan Dougherty '07]
