UTICA, NY- The Utica College baseball program has its sights set on a third straight trip to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament as the 2017 season gets underway on Sunday when the Pioneers open up their schedule against Yeshiva University at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ. 

2016 Year in Review: The 2016 edition of the Pioneers earned a spot in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament for the second straight season after placing fourth in the regular season conference standings … They upset top-seeded St. John Fisher College, an eventual NCAA Tournament team, in the first game of the double-elimination conference tournament but dropped two tough one run games to Ithaca and Fisher to close out the tournament and their 2016 campaign … UC capped its season with a 9-25-1 overall record, including six wins in the highly competitive Empire 8 Conference.

Veteran Coaching Staff: Head Coach Joe Milazzo returns for his fourth season at UC … Milazzo has guided the Pioneers to 38 wins in the last three years, including two straight conference tournament appearances … In 2015, he guided the Pioneers to their first 20-win season in over 23 years … Milazzo will be joined in the dugout by former Pioneers' Christopher Podlucky, Angel Zapata and Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), as well as trusted pitching coach Dan Bollana … Also joining the coaching staff will be Sal Paladino, Mike Pepperine, Bryce Patterson (Corning, NY/Corning East) and Ben  Julian.

All-Conference Returners: A program-record eight baseball players were named to Empire 8 All-Conference teams last Spring … Five of the Pioneers eight all-conference selections return to campus this season and will look to guide UC in 2017 … Third baseman Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) returns as the lone Pioneer representative on the all-conference first team last Spring … Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame), JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and Dom Caccioppoli (Circleville, NY/Pine Bush ) earned honorable mention status last season … Fitzgerald will miss the start of the season due to injury, but Ross, Ryan and Caccioppoli all return to the everyday lineup and will be key contributors.

Automatic Qualification: For the first time in the history of the conference, the winner of the Empire 8 Baseball Tournament will earn an automatic qualification into the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships … This means that regardless of which school wins the conference tournament in 2017, the Empire 8 will be guaranteed representation in the NCAA Baseball Championships.

Quinlan Returns to the Lineup: Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) was one of just two freshman selected to the all-conference first team last season and he was the first UC freshman since 2011 to earn first team distinction … He was selected as a third baseman after leading the league in batting average as the only player to bat over .400, finishing the year with a .404 average … He also led the Pioneers with 28 RBIs, three home runs, and was one of three players to record 40 or more hits …  He posted two six game hitting streaks and one seven game hitting streak over the course of the season … He registered at least one hit in 21-of-27 games played one year ago.

Ross Looking for a Banner Year: Senior outfielder JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) returns to the middle of the lineup after ranking tied for third on the team with a .331 average last Spring …He was second on the team with 23 runs scored … Ross was the only player to play in and start all 35 games of the season … He led the team in both at-bats with 142 and hits with 47 … He only struck out ten times all year … He was also second on the team in total RBI's and triples … In a stretch where he had ten hits in just three games he put together a great performance against SUNY Oneonta where he record four hits and three RBI's.

Ryan Continues Trending Upward: Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) started 34-of-35 games played for the Pioneers and finished the season with a .254 batting average last year…  He came on hot towards the end of the year posting eight hits in his final ten games played … He led Utica with 24 runs scored and also tallied 33 hits and 14 RBIs … He ranked second on the team with five stolen bases … Ryan has now played in 62 career games for UC and boasts a .281 lifetime batting average ... He has 47 career runs scored, 27 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, nine doubles and four triples in two seasons.

Providing Relief: Junior reliever Dom Caccioppoli (Circleville, NY/Pine Bush ) made his first career all-conference appearance on the honorable mention list last Spring …  He posted a team-best 3.86 earned run average in 11 appearances ... In eight of 11 appearances he allowed one earned run or less … Over the course of 32.2 innings pitched he gave up just 14 earned runs and struck out 15 …  He was also named the most valuable player of the annual Jackie Robinson Game against Hamilton College …  In 15 career appearances, Caccioppoli has pitched in 38.0 innings, has a 1-0 record and 18 strikeouts.

Up the Middle: Sophomore Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) had an excellent post season at short stop last Spring and will likely see time at the short stop position this year … Tiffin batted .235 last season in 25 games played … He totaled 19 hits and nine RBIs to go along with six walks and two stolen bases.

Pitching Staff: The Pioneers pitching staff will take on a new look this season after the departure of ace Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) and Empire 8 Tournament standout William Winsman (Palatine Bridge, NY/Canajoharie) … Gavin McCann (Highland, NY/Highland) returns to the staff after appearing in 11 games and pitching 21.1 innings last season … Alex Rocci (Utica, NY/Notre Dame) also returns after making seven appearances and four starts last year … Utica will look to a host of newcomers to provide depth at the position, including local product Griffin Baur (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) who is expected to step in and eat up innings in a starting role for Utica.

Looking to Step Up: Junior Kolbie Glionna (Hagaman, NY/Amsterdam) returns to the lineup after playing in 13 games last season for Utica … Glionna was an infielder for UC last season and batted .381 in 21 at-bats … He posted eight hits and five runs scored … Glionna had a nice Summer on the mound in relief work with the nearby Sherrill Silversmiths collegiate Summer league team and could possibly see time out of the bullpen for the Pioneers as well … Richard Beverly (Bronx, NY/Manhattan Hunter Science) batted .300 in 11 games as an infielder last season … He posted six hits and six runs scored and looks to add to those numbers on the diamond this season … Catcher Zachary Schellenger (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) continues to improve behind the dish after playing in 11 games and posting five hits and four RBIs for the Pioneers last season …  Senior Paul Joyce (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) will look for a breakout season after playing in six games on the varsity team last year and posting one hit and two runs scored … Matt Haddad (Frankfort, NY/T.R Proctor) played in five games and started two in the infield last season and looks to see increased action after posting two hits and one run scored in 2016 … Brett Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) made one pitching appearance and one plate appearance last season … Jacob Gaboriault (Colchester, VT/Essex) played in eight games in 2016 and posted four hits and two RBIs for the varsity team … Senior Josh Call (Syracuse, NY/Solvay) will also look to parlay his collegiate experience into an expanded role with the pitching staff this season.

Making the Jump to Varsity: Thomas Giglio (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Mark Spina (Frankfort, NY/Frankfort-Schuyler), Kyle George (Oneida, NY/Oneida), Christopher Deguilla (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream), Michael Canino (Highland, NY/Highland), Noah Martin (Broadalbin, NY/Broadalbin-Perth), Justin Shabman (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Kennedy Catholic), Stephen Soria (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah), Todd Gardner (Hudson, NY/Hudson), Charles McAllister (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker), Jordan Hughes (Baldwinsville, NY/CW Baker) and Kiernan Briggs (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) all look to make the jump from the junior varsity team and see time on game day with the varsity squad this season.

Pioneers' First Game:  The Pioneers will kick off their 2017 season in Flemington, NJ this Sunday… There they will face the Yeshiva University Maccabees who finished 2-27 overall in 2016… Yeshiva junior Shmuli Goldis will be back on the team this year after posting a team-high .400 batting average and recording 30 hits in 2016… Yeshiva pitcher and senior Rephael Rosenberg will also be back on the team in 2017… He recorded a team-high 31 strikeouts, was 1-2, and had a 6.65 ERA last year.   

Russ Matt Invitational: Utica will attend the Russ Matt Invitational in and around Winter Haven, Florida for its Spring Trip once against this season...Their first game will be a double header against Lesley University on March 13^th … Following eight games down south, the Pioneers will return north to take on host Elmira College in Empire 8 Conference play on March 25^th.

Crucial Conference Games:  UC has 15 conference matchups this season (three against each conference opponent)…Eight of the matchups will be at the Utica College Baseball Field, and seven of the matchups will be on the road … The team's first home series will be against SUNY Canton on March 29^th.

Jackie Robinson Game: For the fourth season in a row the team will end the regular season against Hamilton College in the annual Jackie Robinson Game…This will be the 30^th year in which teams have recognized the career and legacy of Jackie Robinson…Hamilton won the game last year, but the Pioneers have won two out of the last three.

First Year Pioneers: Utica has a host of fresh faces on the roster this season between the junior varsity and varsity programs…Senior transfer Brian McGuire (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) returns from injury this year and is joined by junior's Tom Carrigan (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna), Joseph Cozza (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland), Mike Fancher (Gloversville, NY/Gloversville), John Franchi (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee), Ben Julian (Wynantskill, NY/Troy), Ryan Keefe (Ballston, NY/Ballston Spa), Derrin Lilley (Utica, NY/Proctor), Adam Nell ( Vernon, NY/VVS), Brandon Roberts (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley), and Eric Sahagian (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) … Sophomore's Michael Golden (Rome, NY/Notre Dame), Matthew VanDreason (Utica, NY/Proctor), Brandon Virtue (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham), and Matthew Yozzo (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) will join the squad as well … UC will have a load of freshman coming in with Kyle Bailey (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Central Catholic), Griffin Baur (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Justin Bodley-Bjorklund (Washington, DC/St. Johns), Jake Cavanagh (Plainville, NY/King Phillip Regional), Mike Delia (Poughqag, NY/Arlington), Haydn Demers-St. Hilaire (North Lawrence, NY/St. Lawrence Central), Nolan Hall (Tribes Hill, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), Taylor Hartman (Galway, NY/Galway ), Zachary Hillel (Bellmore, NY/John F. Kennedy), Ryan Humphrey (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro), Michael Johnson (Utica, NY/Notre Dame), Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River), Ryan Mulholland (Rensselaerville, NY/Greenville), Ryan Palmer (Vernon, NY/VVS), Christopher Ramsundar (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady), Hanoi Sanchez (Bronx, NY/A.E.C.I Charter), Ian Schaaf (Waterville, NY/Clinton), and Brandon Torres (Belrose Manor, NY/Bayside).