2014 Baseball Schedule Preview
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – It may be cold outside, but it will only be a matter of time until the warmth of spring arrives and baseball season rolls around.
After finishing 2013 with a 20-15 record and a berth in the USCAA Small College World Series round, the St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) baseball team will face a tough schedule as they aim for their third consecutive winning season.
St. Joseph's kicks off their 2014 campaign traveling for the first time to Winter Haven, Fla. for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational tournament in February. The Bears will take on Maritime College (New York), Brandeis University (Massachusetts), and wrap up with a doubleheader of Alma College (Michigan).
The Bears open their schedule at home with doubleheaders with Rivier University and Albertus Magnus. Then the team will hit the road with a week-long road stand that includes Centenary College, who the Bears are looking to avenge two losses from last season. The schedule includes trips to reigning CUNYAC champion Staten Island as well as Purchase College, who won 23 games in the Skyline Conference last season.
St. Joseph's will have two Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) games on their schedule. The Bears will take on HVIAC newcomer Vaughn College at home on March 30, and on the road at King's College (New York) on April 12.
St. Joseph's will return after to play a series of home games at MCU Park, home of the Mets' single-A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones, after a year-long hiatus due to Superstorm Sandy. The Bears will close out March with a doubleheader at MCU Park against a new opponent in Vaughn College, who will be competing in their inaugural varsity season in 2014. The Bears will close out their regular season with four straight home games at MCU Park, competing against Mount St. Mary, Mount St. Vincent, and Penn State-Abington.
Also circled on the calendar is an "East vs. West" rivalry matchup against sister campus, St. Joseph's (Long Island), on April 16th at the SJC Outdoor Complex, the first varsity meeting between the two squads.
The goal for the Bears is making the post-season, either qualifying for their first NCAA Tournament or returning to the USCAA Tournament for the second straight season, which will take place May 11-15 at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill.