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Blake Hanan Junior Shortstop Kevin Roberts Roberts Tony Junior Cipolla Second Base Junior 2002 First Team Third Base All-MAAC 2002 Second Team All-MAAC SienaSiena andand thethe CapitalCapital DistrictDistrict Table College Quick Facts Location: Loudonville, N.Y. of Contents Enrollment: 2,700 Inside Front Cover . Siena and the Capital Region Founded: 1937 Assistant Athletic Director: Tony Rossi Nickname: Saints Assistant Athletic Director: Page 1. Contents/Information Colors: Green and Gold Theresa Wenzel Pages 2-4. 2003 Outlook President: Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M. Athletic Department Phone: Pages 5-17 . Meet the Saints Vice President: Fr. James Toal, O.F.M. 518-783-2450 Page 20 . 2003 Roster Director of Athletics: John D’Argenio Affiliation: NCAA Division I Page 21 . 2003 Opponents Assistant Athletic Director: Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic Joyce Eggleston Website: SienaSaints.com Pages 18-19 . Baseball Staff Assistant Athletic Director: Pages 22-23 . This is Siena Jamie Mathews Pages 24-26 . Support Staff and Services Page 27 . Administration Pages 28-29 . 2002 Review Baseball Facts Page 30 . the MAAC Head Coach: Tony Rossi (34th Season-SUNY Brockport ’65) Page 31. Saints in the Pros Record: 521-589-4 (.469) Page 32 . 2002 Statistics Assistant Coach: Tony Curro (8th season) Pages 33-39 . the Record Book Assistant Coach: Bill Cilento (2nd season) Page 40 . Siena Baseball by the Numbers Assistant Coach: Paul Thompson (12th season) Inside Back Cover . Siena Athletics Administrative Assistant: Todd Donovan (1st season) Back Cover . 2003 Schedule Office Phone: 518-786-5044 E-mail: [email protected] Field (capacity): Siena Field (1,000) Surface: Grass Dimensions: RF (330), RC (380), C (400), LC (380), LF (310) Press Box Phone: 518-542-7240 To the media: Lettermen Returning/Lost: 17/11 This publication should answer most of the questions you Starters Returning/Lost: 4/4 have about the 2003 Siena baseball team. If you need any Pitchers Returning/Lost: 7/5 other information, or would like to speak with the coach- 2002 Overall record: 28-29 (.491) ing staff or members of the 2003 Siena baseball team, Home: 16-4 (.800) please contact the Siena College Sports Information Office. Away: 11-22 (.333) Phone: (518) 783-2411 Neutral: 1-3 (.250) Fax: (518) 783-2992 MAAC Record: 17-9 (.654) E-mail: [email protected] MAAC Tournament: 0-2 (.000) Siena College Sports Information Office 515 Loudon Road Loudonville, NY 12211-1462 Baseball History Admission to all games is free of charge, and the media is always welcome; however, we do ask that you contact the First Year of Division I Baseball: 1977 sports information office prior to each game you plan on Overall Division I Record: 448-503-4 (.471) attending, so that proper arrangements may be made. MAAC Tournament Appearances: 6 MAAC Tournament Record: 13-5 MAAC Championships (Most Recent): 4 (1999) Years in NCAA Tournament (Most Recent): 1 (1999) Most Recent Tournament Host: Wake Forrest NCAA Play-in Appearances (Most Recent): 3 (1997) Sports Information NCAA Play-in Record: 1-0578 Last NCAA Tournament Opponent: Virginia Tech Jason Rich Baseball SID: Result: Virginia Tech 11, Siena 4 Office: 518-783-2411 Home/Cell: 518-542-7240 The 2003 Siena baseball guide is published by the Siena College Sports Information Fax: 518-783-2992 Office. It was prepared and edited by Jason Rich. Assistance was pro- [email protected] E-mail: vided by Paul Thompson and Eric Kopf. Assistant SID: Jennifer Valore Credits Photography: Carlisle Stockton Graduate Intern: Eric Kopf Media guide printed by Walter Snyder Printer, Troy, N.Y. Design by Willow Graphics. Administrative Secretary: Donna Tedesco Athletic Secretary: Sybille Cowan Copies may be purchased for $7.00 Siena College Baseball 1 2003 Outlook Head Coach Tony Rossi has done his first season working with the Siena pitchers. Sophomore Josh Burnett is another poten- his share of rebuilding in his Appearances, however, can be deceptive. tial difference maker this spring. Burnett flashed 33 years at Siena. It’s doubtful, Junior Josh Copskey appears well-groomed signs of brilliance in limited duty last spring, however, that Rossi has ever had to step in and assume one of the top roles in picking up his first college victory in a complete this much work to do. conference play. Copskey has been a weekend game shutout of Vermont. The local product The Saints break camp this winter with an starter since his arrival in Loudonville and has has the savvy to develop into a quality option entirely different look. Gone is the most pro- emerged as one of the most reliable hurlers in this season. ductive class in the history of the program, and recent history at Siena. His workman like effort A trio of freshmen will also compete for with it, the most productive offensive player ever coupled with precision control should speed along quality innings and attempt to echo the tradi- to wear the Green and Gold, Ryan Finn. The his evolution as one of the MAAC’s elite arms. tion established by the great pitchers who have major leagues did their share of damage to the Expectations are again high for fifth-year come through the program the past decade. Siena roster in the off-season as well, selecting senior Jeremy Cabot, who Rossi describes as the Dan Weingart possesses perhaps the most not only the senior battery of Dave Pahucki and most talented thrower on the staff. Cabot is a upside after a standout career at Long Island’s Jim Buckley, but also the strong arm of junior fearless competitor with a powerful fastball and Division High School in Levittown. Weingart fireballer Justin Knoff, leaving yet another an unhittable breaking pitch when at the top of blends in a knuckle curve with his healthy fast- vacancy on the roster. Add to that the gradua- his game. If he is healthy, he will shore up one ball to keep hitters off balance. With improved tion of the entire outfield, which featured a of the top Saturday tandems in the MAAC. consistency, he figures to compete for weekend four-year starter in centerfield and one of only The third conference spot is anybody’s guess, time. John Lannan had the best fall of the two Saints in the modern era to finish a season though the staff is excited with the potential of three, making the quickest acclimation to the with a .400 batting average, and it would not be junior college transfer Ryan Bitter. Bitter, who college game. The southpaw’s strength is his an understatement to say that the coaching made the country-crossing trip from his home pinpoint control, though he does own a sneaky staff has its work cut out for it. But ultimately, in Pacific Grove, Calif. to arrive in Loudonville, fastball and deceptive curve. If Lannan doesn’t Rossi and his staff know this is a time to look comes from a solid junior college background in crack the conference rotation, he will almost forward not back, and the program always San Diego. His arsenal includes upper-80’s certainly see innings as a situational reliever seems to persevere. velocity and a deadly slider as an out pitch. with the game on the line should he continue With the departure of last year’s class imminent, the Siena staff set out to bring in quality student-athletes who could fill, if not replace, the talent lost to graduation and the draft. Mission accomplished. While Rossi concedes that this year’s team will be far different from what Capital Region supporters and those close to MAAC baseball have come to expect, he expects to field a quality team that poses new challenges for the opposition. “We have a very young and balanced team with great speed,” the veteran mentor declared. “Defensively, I expect improvement, and while there will no doubt be a learning curve for our younger players, the potential is there.” With that said it is not surprising that Rossi’s troops have set the same ambitious expectations they do each spring. “The goal is to capture the conference championship and earn a return trip to the NCAA’s. We understand this is never an easy goal to accomplish, and this year in particular, we will need several players to step up and take on more active roles. As always, we will go as far as our pitching takes us.” PITCHING A unit that has carried the Saints in the past, and always seems rich in depth, is an enigma at the outset. Questions arise in leadership, as well as proven game experience, with just one week- end starter returning. Add a season-ending injury to one of the top returnees on the staff to the shake up already caused by the departure of last year’s graduates and draftees, and it would appear Coach Cilento is in a no-win situation in Jeremy Cabot 2 Siena College Baseball his development. Nick Kieltyka is another numbers and continuing the run production greets the Saints in mid-February. potential-laden rookie who could earn serious received from the Saints’ backstops the past Despite battling through a hand innings from the get-go. Kieltyka is a strong, few seasons. Defensively, it will be difficult injury all of last season, he racked up confident hurler who puts in his time in the for any of Siena’s catchers to step in All-Conference plaudits for the second weight room and is constantly looking to and perform at the level 2002 consecutive season. Roberts also erupted improve his game. Boston Red Sox draftee Jim at the plate in the MAAC Tourna- The main experience in the pitching staff Buckley did a year ago.