Salve Regina baseball opens on Saturday
NEWPORT, R.I. - After capturing their second consecutive Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship and earning the most single-season wins in school history to earn a national ranking for the first time, Salve Regina University baseball challenges itself with another top-rated strength of schedule. The Seahawks, 36-12 in 2017, finished with the nation's 21st-ranked strength of schedule. This year may be the strongest for fifth-year head coach Eric Cirella '05 (114-61-1; .651).
"Overall we play 10 games against teams that were in an NCAA regional or the College World Series last year. Then we play another 10 against teams who are knocking on the door to play in a regional; and that doesn't include teams like Nichols, Endicott, Western New England and the rest of the CCC who will always play you tough no matter what the record books say."
The Seahawks have moved their season-opener from Reynolds Field in Newport, R.I., to Bill Beck Field on the campus of the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I. (artificial turf surface). Salve Regina will host Fitchburg State University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. The following day the Seahawks will travel to Northboro, Mass., for another neutral site contest, this time with Framingham State University (11 a.m.). Then nine more neutral site games will take place in Florida during their annual spring break trip.
Salve Regina will face eight different schools (one doubleheader) in Florida, including four for the first time ever - Ramapo, Ripon, Wartburg, and Washington (Mo.).
"To be honest I am not going to focus much on the teams we are playing. Our focus as a team and as a staff will be on our preparation leading into the season. We are going to try to be better in all facets of the game, but also emphasize the process so we aren't getting too result oriented as we are dealing with a sport where failure is inevitable. If we can pitch it, field it, have quality at-bats, and run the bases well ... and also buy into doing the little things at the best of our ability, then we can beat anyone in the country. We have that much talent and ability, but it's all a matter of preparing at a high level so when the game starts, we just have to execute and play baseball with confidence and passion."
"I told my team in our first meeting that this will be the biggest challenge any Salve Regina baseball team has ever faced. All we can control is what we do in the present time. It's going to take a lot of attention to detail and probably some luck along the way, but that's what makes coaching and competing fun. There will be some highs and lows and roadblocks along the way, but if we stick together and keep working I think we will have a chance to play our best baseball when it counts."
Salve Regina has a 16-game league schedule with eight doubleheader dates (four home and four away). The Seahawks open their CCC slate with a twinbill with the Bison of Nichols College on Saturday, March 24. The Seahawks continue to play regional powers in non-league contests such as Amherst, UMass Boston, Eastern Connecticut State, Wheaton, Suffolk, Trinity, and Mitchell.
Follow the Seahawks all season long with their schedule featured at http://www.salveathletics.com/sports/bsb/2017-18/schedule; links to live stats, video, and directions available on all home contests and most non-Reynolds Field games.
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2018 Salve Regina baseball schedule:
Regular Season Games (40)
Home (15)
Away (14)
Neutral (11)
Florida (9)
Reynolds Field (15)
CCC (16)
Morning Starts (3)
Afternoon Starts (35)
Evening Starts (2)