SEASON OPENER PREVIEW
ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop's baseball team will get the 2017 season underway this weekend when the Eagles host American East foe Maine in a three-game series at The Winthrop Ballpark.
The season opener is set for 4 p.m. on Friday. The series will resume on Saturday scheduled at 3 p.m., and the finale is set for Sunday at 12 p.m.
The Eagles and the Black Bears will be meeting for the first time. Winthrop is coming off a 28-27 season while Maine finished 20-35 a year ago.
Coach Tom Riginos is excited to start the season as his team looks to win a Big South Conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament. Winthrop is coming off back-to-back winning seasons, and is looking to extend that streak to three in a row.
Winthrop enters the season with 17 newcomers. This year's recruiting class ranked 58th by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. "To have a quality recruiting class it takes a total organization's commitment to excellence," said Riginos.
The league's head coaches voted Winthrop to finish fourth in the 2017 Big South Conference race behind High Point, Campbell, and Liberty voted Winthrop. Red-shirt junior southpaw Matt Crohan has been named Big South Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season, becoming the first pitcher to have that distinction.
Three of Winthrop's newcomers have also been voted Freshman of the Year by various national publications. Tyler Musselwhite was voted Freshman of the Year by D1 Baseball, Zach Peek was voted by Perfect Game USA, and Colton Rendon was selected by Baseball America.
The Eagles will be lead at the plate by red-shirt senior Anthony Paulsen, who is coming off a strong year in which he ranked first in batting average (.352), hits (80), and stolen bases (11). Junior Mitch Spires will be making his debut at shortstop after playing third base last year. Senior Babe Thomas will be replacing Roger Gonzalez, who was selected by the Oakland A's in the 20th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
The pitching will have a new look this year as Sam Kmiec and Zach Sightler have graduated and Crohan will return at some point in the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Riginos lists the probable starters for this weekend as senior right-hander thrower Reece Green, sophomore lefty Thad Harris, and freshman righty Colton Rendon
The Eagles are trying to improve their RPI from last year with a beefed up road schedule that includes defending national champion Coastal Carolina, who enters the season ranked No. 11, No. 4 South Carolina, No. 9 North Carolina, and No. 15 Clemson. Winthrop will also travel to Omaha, Nebraska to take on Creighton in TD Ameritrade Park, the site of the College World Series.
Season tickets for the 24-home game schedule can be purchased for $70. To buy tickets, contact the Winthrop Ticket Office (803.323.2345), located on the lower level of the Winthrop Coliseum.
Winthrop will also be selling a mini package for the first time that includes a ticket for every Saturday game this season for $25. Individual game tickets, priced at $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors, are sold on game day at The Winthrop Ballpark ticket window beginning one hour before game time.
For the latest information on Winthrop Baseball team, follow @WinthropBasebal on Twitter or go to www.winthropeagles.com.
