UTICA, NY - Snow has been abundant as of late in the Mohawk Valley, but despite the constant reminders that Winter is still present, the return of Pioneer Baseball this weekend means that Spring is just around the corner. The 2025 campaign will officially get underway this Saturday and Sunday when the Pioneers head to New Jersey for their first Diamond-bound action of the new year. Fresh off an appearance in last year's Empire 8 Championship Series, the guys will look to build on last year's success and make a return to the title threshold against a league with a few new faces as of this season. It all begins this weekend, with the team taking a gander down to the Garden State for a pair of doubleheader dustups with Centenary University and Yeshiva University on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
 
How to Watch the Duo of New Jersey Doubleheaders: You can follow along with this week's action by heading to the baseball section of our athletics website and clicking the "Watch" tab under each matchup in the schedule area. You can also follow the links below to catch all the action.
Saturday streams at Centenary: https://atlanticeastnetwork.com/centenary/
Sunday streams at Yeshiva: Yeshiva has not currently supplied streaming information but this section will be updated as information is gathered.
 
Follow Along with Live Stats: Follow along with live scoring for this weekend's matchups by heading to the baseball section of our athletics website and clicking the "Live Stats" tab under each matchup in the schedule area. You can also follow the links below to keep up with every at bat:
Live stat link for Saturday's games with Centenary: https://centenarycyclones.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Live stat link for Sunday's games with Yeshiva: Yeshiva has not currently supplied live statistics information but this section will be updated as information is gathered.
 
Cultivating a Championship Culture: The Pioneers are in search of yet another championship series appearance this season after breaching the title bout last year, advancing to the final round of the Empire 8 Tournament but ultimately falling in game one of the 2024 final to Champion St. John Fisher. Despite that setback, the team will look to keep it rolling and build on a spectacular campaign that saw them go 11-7 in Empire 8 play, achieving the three seed in the conference tournament where they upset hosts Russell Sage and knocked off Houghton to escape the elimination bracket and etch a decisive meeting with Fisher in the final. The squad has reached the final series of the conference tournament in all but one season since the 2020 campaign that was canceled due to the COVID 19 outbreak. With Empire 8 Championship appearances in 2021, 2022, and 2024, the Pioneers will look to keep it rolling this season, returning 34 players from last year's roster to pair with nine incoming freshmen and a transfer batsman from Division I LeMoyne.
 
North Duval County: The team will be missing some big bats this season, with four out of their five top hitters departing from the team ahead of this season. Out of the Pioneers five hitters who owned above a .300 average last season, only senior utility man Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) will don the Moose this campaign, being named one of the Empire 8's "Players to Watch" with the Utica native owning a team-leading .392 average in his junior year. Duval is primed for another destructive run at the plate, looking to improve on his impressive 2024 totals of 49 hits and 30 RBI. The Proctor product will also be called upon quite a bit in the clutch this season, as he hopes to have another efficient year with runners in scoring position after posting a solid .552 slugging percentage during last year's run.
 
Battery Bats: Duval may be the only returning Pioneer player to log over 100 at bats from the previous season, but the open lineup spots also represent an outstanding opportunity for some other returners to rise to the occasion and begin banking their at-bats as mainstays in the new-look lineup. Chief among those players is experienced catcher Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro), who returns to the lineup after a season that saw him fall just short of the 100 at-bat mark. Scalise was steady behind the dish, putting up solid offensive numbers in addition to his key role on defense. At the plate, he posted a .289 average, grabbing 28 hits including seven doubles and 18 RBI. The second-year backstop was also adept at putting the ball into play last season, rarely striking out and getting great contact in what was just his freshman season. Scalise will look to solidify his spot behind the dish this year and up his effectiveness at stalling opposing base-stealers after a rookie season that saw him win Empire 8 Rookie of the Year in 2024.
 
Joining Scalise as a battery bat is fellow catcher Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) who saw a fair amount of at-bats in what was his sophomore season last year. The Ithaca native saw game action in 15 of the Pioneers' 44 contests in their last campaign, proving to be a reliable option behind the dish in relief of Scalise. Fiorello accrued 11 hits in his 34 at-bats last year, good enough for a .324 average. He also hit well in his important plate appearances, posting a .492 slugging percentage. Fiorello, along with Scalise and freshman catcher duo Jackson Peacock (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) and Ethan Johnson (Cortland, NY/Cortland), will guide the Pioneers behind the plate this year.
 
Around the Horn: Moving out to the basepaths, the team will look to fill lots of production that was lost within the infield last year, with three out of the four infield starters from last season's championship series departing ahead of this season. Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) is the only infield returner from last year's finals and is eyeing a breakout season after a 2024 that saw him record 59 at-bats, picking up 19 hits and 13 RBI along with an All-Empire 8 Second Team selection. The junior middle infielder also got it done under pressure as he sported a .492 slugging percentage. Berger will look to establish himself as an infield captain, hoping to log extended innings after playing in 21 games last season.
 
The other three infield spots present some extraordinary opportunities for a bevy of returners and newcomers to break into the Pioneer lineup, as the top spots are ripe for the taking heading into the 2025 season. A prime candidate to join Berger up the middle is Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale), who logged lots of time in place of Berger at second base towards the end of last season. The Long Island native had a plethora of good outings last season, tallying 40 at-bats but mainly entering matchups due to his aptitude with a glove. Sclafani will be a leading prospect to join Berger in the middle infield, with the two players potentially protecting the keystone aside each other this year. It all depends on Sclafani's numbers at the plate though, as the Farmingdale High graduate will need to boost his offensive production heading into his senior season.
 
Potentially the largest question mark in the Pioneers' defensive placement puzzle resides in the corner infield spots. Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) returns at third base for the team, but other than him the positions are wide open. Warren will look to make even more of an impact after getting some good outs last year. The sophomore appeared in 12 games last season, getting 31 at bats and providing good speed on the basepaths. Warren, who is currently tearing up the Empire 8 Indoor Track ranks, will continue to try and convert his stellar speed to the diamond, hoping to provide an offensive spark with some small ball success. Other than Warren though, the corner infield spots are wide open.
 
Patrolling the Meadow: In the outfield, the team will look to retool with a few returners looking to feature heavily in the outer diamond after making a few appearances last season. Duval will captain the outfield, pairing his excellent offensive production with some impeccable tracking ability. Fresh off a First Team All-Empire 8 Selection, the Pioneers' Player to Watch will make good use of his defensive instincts and will lead a pair of fresh faces in the outfield heading into 2025.
 
The most intriguing and unknown outfield prospect is incoming transfer Michael Rockwell, who joins the team as the only transfer player among this year's newcomers. Rockwell makes the move over from Division I LeMoyne, where he played two seasons for the Dolphins. The junior from nearby Liverpool will look to make a splash after his move from the Dolphins, looking to employ his athleticism and talent at the Division III level in his first season for the Pioneers. Rockwell will roam the outfield this season and hope to fill a large role in the Pioneer lineup.
 
The third outfield spot is fairly open, although some key contenders for the slot include Jake Ogata (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt), Max Gambitta (Cortland, NY/Cortland), DaShawn Hutchinson (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Tom Ziskin (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam), Eric Shulteisz, and Justin Mazovec (Lake Grove, NY/Centereach), who will look to separate themselves and solidify a role while the pieces are still falling into place for the team.
 
At the Helm: The figures cementing that status quo will be a group of Pioneer coaches led by head skipper Joe Milazzo who enters his 12th season as the lead man for the group. Coach Milazzo has found much success as the manager of the Pioneers, guiding them to 166 wins and the aforementioned three Empire 8 Championship appearances over the past four years. Milazzo is only 15 victories away from etching his name into the record books as the program's all-time winningest head coach, adding to his already impressive legacy in his 10-plus years heading the program. Alongside Coach Milazzo in the 2025 endeavor will be Assistant Coaches Dan Bollana and Rich Diliberto along with a group of talented former Pioneer players-turned-coaches in Luke Schulte, Jack Bono, James Roeschlaub, and Nick DeLucia. This coaching contingent will look to achieve the most successful lineup alignment heading into the new campaign; however, one area that might have all the answers already is the Pioneers' pitching…
 
Moose Mound Mainstays: The Pioneers return an absurd amount of innings from last year among their array of talented pitchers, with the team welcoming back all five of their hurlers who threw over 30 innings last season. In fact, the team is returning 86 percent of all pitching production from 2024, ridiculous marks when it comes to consistency. The five 30-inning pitchers from last season include Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional), Jack Krug (Rotterdam Junction, NY/Canajoharie), Kody Czernastek, Aidan McCue (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park), and potential ace Austin Rhodes (Wappingers Falls, NY/Kennedy Catholic) who actually breached the 40-inning barrier during last season's events.
 
Rhodes was an innings eater in 2024, pitching 46 innings, nearly eight more than the next highest producer. Rhodes sported a 4.47 ERA to pair with 38 strikeouts as he took home an All-Empire 8 Third Team nod in what was just his freshman season with the program. Gearing up for year number two, Rhodes will feature as an even bigger presence within the ranks of the Pioneer starters, most likely coming in as the number one choice for starting pitching this season.
 
The other starters for the Pioneers look to be Jack Krug (Rotterdam Junction, NY/Canajoharie) and Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland), both of which had some great outings last season despite a difference in their amount of appearances.
 
Krug toed the rubber for 38 total innings last season, ranking second on the team behind Rhodes for pitching volume. He posted a 5.68 ERA and a team-leading 39 strikeouts, showcasing some stellar stuff as he prevented opposing batters from making meaningful contact.
 
Knabe looks to complete the trifecta of top-tier starting pitchers for the team, as he returns after battling injury trouble towards the end of last season. The Empire 8 Rookie of the Year in 2023, Knabe looks to return to top form after throwing 17 full innings in four games during last season's action. The Cortland native will eye a return to his winning ways that he put on full display his rookie season when he tore onto the scene to the tune of an obscene 2.17 ERA in 54 innings pitched. Pairing those totals with his 46 strikeouts, Knabe's 2023 season will go down as one of the all-time Pioneer pitching campaign's as he was rewarded with the conference's Rookie of the Year for his efforts. The 2023 magic is what Knabe will look to produce as he takes the mound once again in 2025.
 
Utica also returns a plethora of relievers, with Ford, Czternastek, and Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) back after breakout years in the bullpen.
 
Ford and Czternastek both return with 30-inning outings under their belt from last season. Ford posted a 5.64 ERA and grabbed 25 strikeouts in 2024 during his sophomore year, while the local product Czternastek posted similar totals with a 5.70 ERA and 21 K's. Newton will also hope to provide some solid outings in relief after tossing 19 innings last season.
 
McCue completes the quintet of 30-inning returners, looking to provide innings wherever they are needed after building a 31-inning resume last season.
 
With all this pitching production coming back, it's easy to forget that the Pioneers will have some new talent to draw from on the mound as well, as freshman hurlers Brandon Gralla (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West), Dean Ennis (Middle Island, NY/Longwood), Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), and Mike Flint will all fill big innings for the team with potential to start.
 
The mix of returning power and incoming talent provide an excellent mixture of styles within the Pioneers' pitching ranks, establishing an area of their game to lean on while they arrange a winning gameplan on offense.
 
 New Rivals: Like with every other sport within the Empire 8, the league will welcome a couple new foes to the conference lineup this season, with Brockport and SUNY Poly joining the ranks and creating a 9-team group which will battle it out over the conference schedule. With more teams comes yet another new playoff format, which will feature the top six teams from the conference battling it out for the Empire 8 Championship and NCAA Tournament bid come season's end. This year's tournament will see the top three seeds immediately advance to the four-team final rounds which occur from May 8th - May 10th at the site of the number one seed. The first round will see the number six seed visit the number five seed on Tuesday, May 6th for an elimination game, with the winner traveling to the site of the number one seed to play an elimination game against the number four seed that next Thursday. Whoever emerges from that string of elimination matchups will gain entry into the four-team double elimination final round which also starts on Thursday, meaning a marathon for any teams who need to fight their way through the first rounds of the playoff.
 
This Weekend's Matchup: The Pioneers will head to the Garden State for a pair of doubleheaders with Centenary and Yeshiva this Saturday and Sunday. Utica has not matched up with Centenary since 2004, meaning this will present a new challenge for both teams. Centenary currently has three games under their belt, losing all three in some close contests against Clarkson. For the Sunday games, Utica will face a familiar foe in Yeshiva, with the two squads renewing their rivalry for the fourth-straight season. The Pioneers are 10-0 all-time against the Maccabees, a streak they'll look to keep up in the season's opening weekend.
 
After Opening Weekend: The Pioneers will gear up for a gauntlet of games down in Florida at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The spring break trip will begin on March 8th, with the team having seven games scheduled over five days down in the Sunshine State.
 
Tune in this weekend as the Pioneers open their 2025 campaign!