Siena Baseball begins its 2024 season and the
Alex Jurczynski Era when the Saints take on Longwood for a three-game Opening Weekend series in Farmville, Virginia. The season gets underway with doubleheader action Saturday at noon, followed by the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
For the first time since the Nixon Administration, Siena Baseball Opening Day will feature a new face leading the Saints from the dugout. A native of nearby Schenectady, the 32-year-old Jurczynski was appointed the new Siena skipper in July following a successful six-year stint on staff at Princeton.
Saturday will mark the first time since 1969 that someone other than Tony Rossi will lead the Saints on Opening Day. A fellow Schenectady native, Rossi officially retired last Mar. 20 in the midst of his 54
th season at the helm as the longest tenured coach in NCAA Division I Baseball history.
Siena now looks to the future with Jurczynski as the Saints open a season in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the first time ever. Junior southpaw
Arnad Mulamekic draws the Opening Day start on the mound, with redshirt sophomore righthander
Alistair Morin scheduled to open the nightcap of the season-opening doubleheader. Junior lefthander
Billy Rozakis is slated to pitch the series finale. Longwood is projected to counter with Guillermo Garcia, Jr. (RHP), Preseason All-Big South selection Ethan Walker (LHP), and Brenton Fisher (RHP).
As is customary for a northern team, Siena is scheduled to begin its
54-game 2024 campaign with a 22-game road trip spanning six different states up and down the eastern seaboard. The Saints are slated for 18 dates at Connors Park this spring, with both the home and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener set for a doubleheader vs. Quinnipiac on Mar. 28.
Siena has high hopes in the first year of the Jurczynski Era after posting a 14-41 overall mark including a 7-17 MAAC record while finishing 10
th in league action last season. The Saints return five players who registered more than 100 at-bats last spring, highlighted by MAAC All-Rookie Team selection
Danny Barbero. On the mound, Siena welcomes back seven of 10 pitchers who recorded double-digit appearances. The Saints also add 20 newcomers highlighted by 14 freshmen and six transfers to their 44-man Opening Day roster. Siena was predicted to finish 10
th (11 teams) according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll released earlier this week.
Siena and Longwood meet for the first time ever this weekend. The Lancers posted a 23-31 overall record last season including an 11-16 mark in Big South action. Longwood played a pair of three-game home series last spring vs. MAAC competition, being swept in season-opening action vs. Mount St. Mary's before later sweeping Iona. The Lancers were predicted to finish eighth (nine teams) according to the Big South Preseason Poll.
Follow the action all weekend long through the corresponding live stats link. Updates and additional coverage will be provided all weekend long through the team's X (formerly Twitter) account @SienaBaseball.
