LOUDONVILLE, NY - Siena Baseball returns to the diamond for the first time in 375 days when the Saints commence their 2021 season with a four-game series vs. MAAC foe Iona Sunday and Monday at Connors Park. First pitch is set for noon both days, with Sunday's doubleheader broadcast on ESPN3 and Monday's contests showcased on Siena All-Access. 

Due to current COVID-19 protocols enacted by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Council of Presidents, fans are not permitted to attend Siena home games at this time. 

A.J. Kanell and Brett Bosley have the call of Sunday's doubleheader on ESPN3. The ESPN streams are available by clicking the corresponding links, on smartphones and tablets via the ESPN app, and on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Kanell has the solo call of Monday's twinbill on Siena All-Access which can be viewed by clicking the corresponding links or by simply logging onto sienasaints.com/watch. 

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday's lid-lifter will mark both the latest season-opener as well as the first time that Siena has opened a season at home in 30 years since commencing on campus vs. Canisius on Mar. 28, 1991. Siena Head Coach Tony Rossi was already in his 22nd season at the helm as well as a Siena Athletics Hall of Fame inductee at that point.

"I'm a baseball guy, I want to be out there playing and watching these guys," said Rossi. "Going right into the conference is like going from the frying pan into the fryer, but there's no frying pan we're already in the fryer. I'm looking forward to seeing these guys play because they've worked hard up to this point." 

The 2021 season marks the 52nd for Rossi, who is the longest tenured head coach in NCAA Division I Baseball history, and the second longest active tenured college baseball coach at any level, trailing only Division II Bentley's Bob DeFelice who is in his 53rd season. Rossi is third all-time in NCAA Baseball history in seasons coached, trailing only Division III coach Gordie Gillespie (59 seasons) and DeFelice. Rossi is the winningest coach in both Siena College and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history in any sport with 908 career victories to his name. 

Rossi's Saints are looking to outpace expectations after being predicted to finish ninth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Siena returns the MAAC's leading hitter from last year's shortened season in senior third baseman Pat O'Hare, who led the MAAC in average (.367), total bases (31), on-base percentage (.523), and slugging percentage (.612), while tying for the conference lead with 19 hits over 16 games in his first season donning the Green and Gold. O'Hare is one of seven returning everyday position players, while the Saints also welcome back 11 of 13 pitchers who saw action last season. 

Picked 10th according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Iona was supposed to begin play this weekend vs. Saint Peter's while Siena was initially slated to have the league bye. However, following Saint Peter's announcement of a department-wide pause Monday which created openings this weekend in both Siena and Iona's schedules, the Saints and Gaels mutually agreed to move up their originally scheduled series from May 15-16.

Siena enters the series holding a 44-29 all-time advantage over Iona. The programs last met in 2019, with the Saints securing a three-game sweep at Connors Park. Then freshman Ryan McGee notched the game-winning hits in consecutive one-run victories for Siena to close out the series. 

MAAC teams are scheduled to play a 40-game, conference-only schedule this spring. Series will consist of four games at one site, with doubleheaders scheduled for consecutive days. There will be one exception for each team's natural rival, which will feature doubleheaders on consecutive Tuesdays. Series will feature a 7-9-7-9 innings format, with the second game each day set to revert to a seven-inning affair should the first game go to extra innings.