Pirates Head to Winston-Salem for 2020 Season Opener

GAME NOTES
LIVE STREAM VS. WAKE FOREST

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – It's finally that time of year.

The bus is packed and the Seton Hall baseball team are heading south to ACC country where they'll play three games against three quality opponents in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The season starts on Friday with the Hall taking on a ranked team in Wake Forest at 4 p.m. followed by games against Illinois and Milwaukee both at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The competition is stiff, but this veteran Pirate squad is excited for the competition after a tough finish to last season.

The Pirates return four All-BIG EAST caliber players in senior first baseman Matt Toke (Three Bridges, N.J.), senior outfielder Tyler Shedler-McAvoy (Allendale, N.J.), senior pitcher Noah Thompson (Frisco, Texas) and sophomore pitcher David Festa (Verona, N.J.). On top of that, after a year playing away from its friendly confines on campus, the Pirates will be back in South Orange this season where they'll play in a renovated ballpark newly dubbed Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium at Owen T. Carroll Field.

To simplify, there is a lot to be excited about this season. While there are polls and pundits that say the Pirates could come away with the BIG EAST championship, the Hall knows that the work starts in early February and it's a long season. Games are won by taking it one inning at a time and one pitch at a time, no matter the opponent. Here's the projected rotation this weekend (subject to change):

Friday – RHP No. 2 Ryan McClinskey (Pearl River, N.Y.)
Saturday – RHP No. 19 Noah Thompson (Frisco, Texas)
Sunday – RHP No. 48 David Festa (Verona, N.J.)

Friday's game against Wake Forest will be the Pirates' only game broadcasted this weekend and it will be streamed on ACC Network Extra. Check your provider to see if they have the ACC Network. Fans can follow @SHUBaseball on Twitter for updates and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on SHUPirates.com.

Here are three things to watch for:

McClinskey gets the ball for the season opener

Junior Ryan McClinskey will make his first career start against the Demon Deacons on Friday afternoon. Despite never starting a game, his competitiveness, improvements made during the offseason and performances in the preseason proved that he was capable to start the Pirates' first game. Last season, he struck out 29 batters in 23.1 innings pitched with a save.
Freshmen could play key roles

The Hall nearly returns its entire lineup from a season ago but don't be surprised to see some freshmen make their way into the lineup early in the season. Outfielder Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) and catcher Staus Pokrovsky (Pittsgrove, N.J.) are two talented rookies that Seton Hall fans could see in the lineup card this month.
Getting opportunities early

Seton Hall will get a crack at the 20th ranked team in the country in Wake Forest and an at-large NCAA regional team from last season in Illinois to start the season. Add in a solid mid-major in Milwaukee and the Pirates will have a solid test ahead of them this weekend. It will be a good gauge for this team as they kick off the 2020 campaign.