Pirates Set to Open Season vs. Michigan This Weekend

February 17-19, 2016
Port St. Lucie, Florida - Tradition Field

SETON HALL (0-0) vs. MICHIGAN (0-0)

Date

Seton Hall
Probable Starter

Michigan
Probable Starter

Live
Video

Live
Audio

Live
Stats

Twitter

Friday,
Feb. 17
3:00 PM

SHANE
MCCARTHY
(6-4, 2.38 ERA)
RHP

Oliver Jaskie
(7-3, 3.19 ERA)
LHP

None

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Saturday,
Feb. 18
Game One
11:00 AM

CULLEN
DANA
(7-2, 2.75 ERA)
LHP

Alec Rennard
(0-0, 0.00 ERA)
RHP

None

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Saturday,
Feb. 18
Game Two

ANDREW
POLITI
(1-0, 6.08 ERA)
RHP

Ryan Nutof
(6-3, 3.67 ERA)
RHP

None

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Sunday,
Feb. 19
11:00 AM

ZACH
PRENDERGAST
(5-7, 3.97)
RHP

Michael Hendrickson
(0-0, 2.53 ERA)
LHP

None

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

PREVIEW:
Seton Hall will open the 2017 season with four games against Big Ten power Michigan in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Feb. 17-19. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18. All four games will have a live audio stream via the Pirate Sports Network at SHUpirates.com.

The Pirates are coming off a 38-20 season in 2016 and return the vast majority of their pitching staff, including four starters and their closer, Zach Schellenger. Juniors Shane McCarthy and Mike Alescio were named to the 2017 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, with McCarthy being one of only four unanimous selections. The Pirates were picked fourth in the seven-time BIG EAST in the preseason coaches poll. St. John's and Xavier tied for the top spot and Creighton was selected third, only one point head of Seton Hall.

Michigan is coming off a 36-21 season. The Wolverines finished fifth in the Big Ten and were eliminated by Ohio State in the conference tournament, which ended their season. Michigan's offense ranked second-best in the conference with a team batting average of .299 in 2016, but lost Cody Bruder to graduation, who led the team at .372. Still, the Wolverines are expected to compete for the Big Ten title again in 2017.

SERIES INFORMATION:
Seton Hall and Michigan have only met two other times in history. This week's four games mark the first time the programs will meet for a series. The Pirates lost to the Wolverines, 2-1, on Feb. 15, 2012 as part of the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge. The Hall bounced back the following year with a 5-3 victory over Michigan at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.

Michigan is coming off a 36-21 season. The Wolverines finished fifth in the Big Ten and were eliminated by Ohio State in the conference tournament, which ended their season. Michigan's offense ranked second-best in the conference with a team batting average of .299 in 2016, but lost Cody Bruder to graduation, who led the team at .372. Still, the Wolverines are expected to compete for the Big Ten title again in 2017.

THINGS TO KNOW:
TRADITION FIELD
Seton Hall will open the 2017 season vs. Michigan in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The games will be played at the spring training site of the New York Mets, with at least two being played at Tradition Field.

MCCARTHY, ALESCIO PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST
Juniors Shane McCarthy and Mike Alescio were named to the 2017 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. McCarthy was one of only four players to be named a unanimous selection. The right-hander led the BIG EAST in ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched. Alescio was a Johnny Bench Award List member and batted .310.

AUDIO STREAM
If you can't get to Port St. Lucie, Fla. for the first series of the 2017 season, be sure to tune in to the Pirate Sports Network at SHUpirates.com for a live audio stream of all four games. Matt Sweeney, Seton Hall baseball's sports information director, will provide the play-by-play.

PIRATES PICKED FOURTH
Seton Hall was picked to finish fourth in the seven-team BIG EAST Conference by the coaches in the 2017 preseason poll. St. John's and Xavier tied for the top spot, while Creighton was selected third, just one point ahead of the Pirates.

SCHELLENGER AMONG TOP COLLEGE PROSPECTS
Junior Zach Schellenger is currently listed No. 89 in Baseball America's list of the Top-100 College MLB Draft Prospects. The Pirates' closer saved six games and struck out 70 batters in only 45.2 innings last season.

TEN NEWCOMERS
This spring Seton Hall will welcome 10 newcomers to the diamond. Junior college transfer Al Molina joins nine freshman, Christian Del Castillo, Rick DeVito, Blake Espinal, Mike Esposito, Connor Hood, Corey Sawyer, Tyler Shedler-McAvoy, Noah Thompson and Matt Toke.

RECEIVING VOTES
Seton Hall is receiving votes for the College Baseball Newspaper's Top-40 national preseason poll. The Pirates' first 2017 opponent, Michigan, is ranked No. 32.

PAPACCIO RETURNS
Former Seton Hall All-American Giuseppe Papaccio has been named a Volunteer Assistant Coach for the Pirates for 2017. A 2013 graduate, Papaccio rejoins the Pirates after serving a season as volunteer assistant coach at Manhattan College under former Pirate player and coach Jim Duffy. Prior to entering the coaching field, he enjoyed three years of professional baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization, reaching as high as double-A.

STRIKEOUTS RETURNING
Seton Hall recorded 465 strikeouts in 2016, which led the BIG EAST by more than 100 and ranked 39th in the nation. With four starters and the majority of the bullpen returning, the Pirates will bring back players that tossed 94.6% of those strikeouts. Shane McCarthy (1st), Zach Schellenger (5th), Zach Prendergast (7th) and Cullen Dana (8th) all finished among the top-8 in the conference.

BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
The season will conclude at the home of Creighton and the College World Series, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha with the 2017 BIG EAST Baseball Championship presented by Jeep. The championship will be played on Memorial Day weekend, May 25-28.

FREE PIRATE SPORTS NETWORK
For the first time, all baseball broadcasts, both video and audio, will be free of charge on the Pirates Sports Network at SHUpirates.com. All home games will have a free live video stream, while select away contests, including the season-opening series vs. Michigan, will have a free live audio stream. Don't miss any of the action!!