UTICA, NY - Spring Break kicks off this weekend as the Utica baseball team heads south to the Sunshine State to really get their season underway with a seven-game run over five days. At the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, the Pioneers will battle five different opponents from various conferences, taking on Delaware Valley, Penn State - Altoona, RIT, Emerson, and Lakeland as they look to solidify their preferred lineup and rotation during the densest stretch of games for the team in 2025. The Altoona and Emerson matchups will also be doubleheaders, completing the seven-game set for the Pioneers down in Florida. The team will enter this all-important gauntlet with two games under their belt, splitting with Centenary in a season-opening series this past weekend.
 
Streaming Details for the RussMatt: You can follow along with all the Florida fun by heading to the Fastpitch TV Network or by following the link below. The subscription cost for access to the livestream and on-demand content is $99.99, although interested fans can get 75% off of their subscription by using the coupon code TSGFAN.
RussMatt Streaming: https://www.fastpitchtvnetwork.com/
 
Penn State Altoona will be broadcasting both games of the Sunday doubleheader for free. You can view these matchups by clicking on the links below:
 
Utica vs Penn State Altoona stream (Game 1): https://live.psaltoonalions.com/content/f2fe982b-fbf8-4c83-b12c-2c8180464d44
 
Utica vs Penn State Altoona stream (Game 2):
https://live.psaltoonalions.com/content/f2fe982b-fbf8-4c83-b12c-2c8180464d44
 
Follow Along with Live Stats: Currently, Delaware Valley and Penn State Altoona will be providing live stats for the first three matchups of spring break. You can follow along with these by clicking "live stats" under the baseball schedule on our athletics website, or also by clicking the links below:
 
Utica vs Delaware Valley Live Stats link: https://athletics.delval.edu/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
 
Utica vs Penn State Altoona Live Stats link (Game 1):
https://www.psaltoonalions.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250309_frig.xml
 
Utica vs Penn State Altoona Live Stats link (Game 2):
https://www.psaltoonalions.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250309_ohuh.xml
 
Season-Opening Storylines: Utica traveled down to Hackettstown for a couple of clashes with Centenary this past weekend, logging some early-March action as they fought to a season-opening split vs the Cyclones. The Pioneers took home a 7-0 win in game one, followed by a close 6-4 defeat in the second game. The bats were lively all day for the Pioneers, who totaled 13 hits and 11 runs over the course of the season-opening set. Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) led the bats in the series, grabbing three hits in his six at bats. He also displayed some explosive power from deep in the order, recording two RBI along with two extra base hits thanks to a double and a key home run which really got the lineup going in game one. Mike Rockwell (Liverpool, NY/Cicero) also went yard for the team in his first action as a part of the Pioneer lineup, recording a three-run homer in game one to double the Utica lead late in the matchup. Jacob Pian (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) also accrued two base knocks in the opening game, grabbing an RBI to top off a seven-run performance for the team in the season-opener. In game two, it was Justin Mazovec (Lake Grove, NY/Centereach) who paved the way for the Pioneer lineup, with the veteran batter grabbing two hits in three at-bats while also scoring two runs. It was Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) who managed to cash in Mazovec on multiple occasions thanks to a center field single and a groundout to second base.
 
Recounting The Komeback: On the mound, it was returning starter Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) who stole the show for the team in game one, logging an impressive start in his first game action since missing most of his sophomore season due to injury. The junior pitcher wasted no time in making his return known this past weekend, spinning an excellent start on the mound during the first five innings of the season against Centenary. For his efforts, Knabe was gifted the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week, picking up the first award for Pioneer baseball in the new campaign. The former Empire 8 Rookie of the Year twirled an exquisite five-inning shutout against the Cyclones, allowing just three hits while facing 20 total batters in the outing. Knabe also fanned two on the way to his first win of the new campaign. The junior was efficient, getting it done on just 66 total pitches. Knabe combined with fellow junior Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) for the seven-inning shutout in a 7-0 win to begin the new season.
 
Running the Gauntlet: The Pioneers will now turn their attention to a seven-game slate this upcoming week, and will need lots and lots of arms to fill all the innings needed to emerge with some key victories during Spring Break. Thankfully for the team, they returned plenty of pitching production from this past season, bringing back five pitchers who logged over 30 innings on the mound last season, in addition to a returning Knabe. The team will look towards a group of stellar starters to eat up innings during the five-day run, as Knabe and Austin Rhodes (Wappingers Falls, NY/Kennedy Catholic) will attempt to get the team off to an efficient start to the week. It will be down to the bullpen to carry the load over the long week, with Ford, Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport), Jordan Henkel (Melville, NY/Walt Whitman), and various other relievers hoping to have successful outings and allow the Pioneers to remain comfortable in their rotations. Even Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), who was the Pioneers main power at the plate this past weekend, may make a few appearances on the mound in an attempt to help the team survive their upcoming barrage of battles. The pitching strategy will be a point of emphasis this upcoming week, and will ultimately help the team decide who the rotation may be heading into Empire 8 after they return from spring break.
 
After Opening Weekend: The Pioneers will immediately enter the Empire 8 portion of their season, with SUNY Poly awaiting the team for a three-game weekend following their return from Florida. Those games will take place on the weekend of March 22nd, giving the Pioneers a 10-day break following their Spring Break escapades.
 
Tune in this week to see the Pioneers compete down in Florida!