ROCK HILL, S.C. - Winthrop baseball's opening day is set for Friday, February 17 as the Long Island University Sharks come to the Winthrop Ballpark. The two schools will meet for the first time.
 
Winthrop enters 2023 predicted to finish ninth in the Big South Conference. The Eagles finished the 2022 season with an 18-34 (11-13 Big South) record. The Eagles also welcome back 18 players, nine of them starters and 16 newcomers, all either freshman or transfers.
 
The Eagles will lean on junior third baseman Joseph Szvetitz, who had a batting average of .298 last year, sophomore right fielder Ricky Teel, junior center fielder Brody Hopkins, who also pitches, and transfer outfielder McKinley Erves.
 
Other batters to watch are senior first baseman Mark Kirkland, fourth-year junior second baseman Will Martin, fourth-year junior catcher Ty Hooks (who finished last year with a .245 batting average and 11 doubles), junior shortstop Ramses Cordova, and DH/catcher Nate Chronis.
 
In the starting pitching department, Winthrop will be led by junior RHP Alex Logusch, sophomore righty Caleb Jones, transfer lefthander Riley Huge and junior lefty Parker Whittle (who finished 2022 with a record of 1-3 and a 5.03 ERA).
 
The two-way player Hopkins is the closer while junior right-handers Reese Lumpkin (3-1, 5.84 ERA in 2022) and Parker Kruglewicz (0-1, 85.7 ERA in 2022) are other top relievers.
 
The Sharks captured the Northeast Conference's regular and post-season titles last season and was picked second in the preseason poll after going 37-21 (18-9 NEC) in 2022.
 

LIU (0-0, 0-0 Northeast Conference) at Winthrop (0-0, 0-0 Big South)
Date	Friday, February 17 / GAME 1	Saturday, February 18 / GAME 2	Sunday, February 19 / GAME 3
First Pitch	3:00 p.m. ET	2:00 p.m. ET	1:00 p.m. ET
Listen Live	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here
Live Stats	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here
Probable Pitching Matchups (2023 Stats)	Alec Huertas (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs.  Alex Logusch (0-0, 0.00 ERA)	Ryun Cross (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Dyson Johnson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)	Ty McInnes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA)