LOUDONVILLE, NY – In celebration of its Ruby Anniversary throughout the 2020-21 academic year, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will be unveiling its 40^th Anniversary Teams this summer to highlight some of the league's all-time great student athletes and coaches from the 24 sports in which the league crowns champions. The MAAC 40^th Anniversary Baseball Team features six Siena legends in Tim Christman, Joe Drpich, Ryan Finn, Dave Pahucki, Dan Paolini and coach Tony Rossi.
 
"We are proud at the MAAC to be celebrating excellence both on and off the field for 40 years," said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. "It's a true testament to all of the coaches, administrators, and student-athletes who have made this possible over the last four decades. Their hard work and dedication has made the MAAC what it is today; a conference that celebrates their outstanding efforts in 24 unique championships every year. I'd like to thank all of those people who have played a part in shaping the MAAC into what it is today. Despite the challenges presented in the current climate with the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of the MAAC is strongly cemented in the commonality of our member institutions and commitment to the mission of the conference."
 
Tim Christman (1994-96)
A 2004 Siena Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee, Christman anchored the rotation for a Siena squad which captured its first two MAAC Championships in 1995 and 1996. The 1994 MAAC Rookie of the Year is the program's all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings (12.70), and set a program single-season record allowing just 4.5 hits per nine innings in 1996. Christman registered the only no-hitter to date in Siena history on Apr. 9, 1994 vs. Niagara, and also tossed a pair of one-hitters during his dominant three-year run. An 11^th Round pick in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft by Colorado who appeared in the majors with the Rockies in 2001, he ranks seventh all-time in program history in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.60), eighth in ERA (3.36), and 10^th in strikeouts (174).
 
Joe Drpich (2015-18)
One of the most feared pure sluggers in program history, Drpich was the 2016-17 Siena College Male Student Athlete of the Year, and in 2015 was pronounced both the MAAC Rookie of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. A two-time First Team All-MAAC (2017, 2018) and All-MAAC Tournament Team selection (2015, 2018), he was heralded as a 2017 ABCA/Rawlings All-Northeast Region First Team and All-ECAC honoree. Drpich ranks third all-time in program history – and sixth in MAAC history – with 39 home runs, and also checks in third in Siena's record book in both RBI (167) and total bases (394), fourth in both doubles (47) and extra-base hits (89), and 10^th in hits (224). A career .329 hitter, he was also tabbed the 2018 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and a 2016 Second Team All-MAAC pick.
 
Ryan Finn (1999-02)
A 2010 Siena Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Finn is Siena's all-time career leader in RBI (193 – third in MAAC history), triples (13 – tied for fourth in MAAC history), total bases (471), and extra-base hits (114). The 2001 MAAC Player of the Year, he ranks second all-time in both Siena and MAAC history in home runs (47). Finn was named the 1999 MAAC Rookie of the Year after helping guide the Saints to their fourth MAAC Championship capping a dominant five-year run. A career .330 hitter, he also ranks second in Siena history in both hits (250) and runs scored (158), third in doubles (54), and tied for sixth in stolen bases (51).
 
Dave Pahucki (1999-02)
The baseball program's most recent Siena Athletics Hall of Fame inductee in 2015, Pahucki orchestrated arguably the best freshman pitching campaign in MAAC history. During his rookie season of 1999, he was named both a Baseball America and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, and was heralded as the MAAC Tournament MVP after pitching the Saints to the MAAC Championship and the program's first NCAA appearance. Pahucki went 9-1 during his freshman season – with his only defeat coming in the NCAA Tournament vs. Wake Forest – and set a Siena rookie record with six complete games. For his career, he ranks second all-time in program history in wins (23), strikeouts (222), and innings pitched (313.1), tied for third in complete games (16), and eighth in strikeout-to-walk-ratio (2.52). Having tossed one of five one-hitters in program history, Pahucki was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 23^rd Round in 2002.
 
Dan Paolini (2009-11)
Arguably the greatest hitter in MAAC history, Paolini is the conference's all-time home run king with 56 despite playing just three brilliant seasons at the collegiate level. He ranks second all-time in MAAC history and is Siena's all-time career leader with a .380 batting average, and stands second in the program record books and seventh all-time in the conference with 184 RBI. A two-time MAAC Player of the Year (2010, 2011), Paolini was also honored as the 2009 MAAC and ECAC Rookie of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. He was selected a 2011 ABCA Third Team All-American, College Baseball Insider Honorable Mention All-American, All-Northeast Region First Team, and MAAC All-Tournament Team selection. Paolini was heralded as a 2010 Collegiate Baseball All-American after hitting a MAAC-record 26 home runs. He stands second in Siena Baseball history in both total bases (450) and extra-base hits (96), fourth in runs scored (152), and fifth in hits (237). 
 
Coach Tony Rossi (1970-pres.)
A 1986 Siena Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Rossi is the winningest coach in both Siena and MAAC history with 908 career victories to his name. The longest tenured head coach in NCAA Division I Baseball history, he just completed his 51^st season at the helm of Siena. A six-time MAAC Coach of the Year (1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005), Rossi has led Siena to each of the program's five MAAC Tournament Championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2014) as well as NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2014. He has developed 56 student athletes who have signed professional contracts, and coached six MAAC Players of the Year and six MAAC Rookies of the Year. Rossi has piloted Siena to a total of 20 20-win seasons since 1985, including a program record six straight from 2013-18. On three occasions Rossi has led the Saints to 30 or more victories, highlighted by a program record 34 triumphs in 1999. He is also an inductee in both the Albany Twilight League (1985) and Capital Region Baseball (2011) Halls of Fame.
 
The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College and Saint Peter's College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981, with the charter members competing in the sports of men's cross country and men's soccer. On January 2, 1982, Army traveled to Iona for the first MAAC men's basketball game and the MAAC story had begun. Siena College first joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in select sports beginning with the 1989-90 academic year, and currently sponsors 21 athletic programs which compete in the MAAC.
 
The MAAC is currently comprised of 11 full time member institutions and 17 associate members, crowning champions in 24 sports. Current members include Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.

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