HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 16, 2020) – After finishing 13-5 in conference play in 2019 and advancing to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament semifinals, the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team looks poised to take another step forward in 2020 as they move into the MAC Freedom for the first time in program history.

The Ducks return four players who started at least 26 games in the field last season while also bringing back three of their top four pitchers in terms of ERA from a season ago.

Head coach Kristaps Aldins is back for his ninth season as the head coach of Stevens and has high hopes for his team in 2020.

"Our expectation each and every year is to compete for a conference championship, NCAA Tournament Berth, and a shot at the World Series," Aldins said. "To add on to this, I really do believe in the concept of trusting in the 'process'. Our Leadership Council and team, as a whole, did a great job redesigning our core values this year, and I am confident that if we can stay true to these core values we will have a shot at all three of those result-oriented goals."

Offensively, Stevens will be led by 2019 Second Team All-E8 selection senior A.J. Falconite as well as sophomore Ryan Finegan. The duo combined for the top two averages on the team last season and have a combined 66 total starts on the diamond between the two of them.

On the mound, the Ducks will look for production from 2019 First Team All-E8 selection Alex Smith and 2019 E8 All-Tournament Team selection Michael Frissora.
Additionally, Chandler Brierley, Stevens' likely opening day starter, returns for his senior season after starting 11 games last season.

Balancing the Bats

• Returning for his final season on Castle Point, Falconite looks to build off his breakout season in 2019. A 2020 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper DIII Player to Watch, Falconite hit .333 and closed the year as the team leader in homers (4), hits (44), walks (27) and RBIs (28) and was a staple in the lineup, starting a team-high 38 games last season.
• Finegan also had a stellar campaign in 2019, leading the team with a .381 batting average as well as a .477 on base percentage. In his rookie season, Finegan racked up 26 hits and 12 RBIs in just 19 starts.
• Aldins is excited to watch both of these players compete in 2020.
• "AJ is one of the top talents in the northeast, but he brings so much more to the table than just his baseball ability." Aldins said. "He is a fantastic leader, student of the game and gives our team so much confidence. We are lucky to have him on our side. Finney, meanwhile, grabbed an opportunity last year and ran with it. We expect him to anchor the outfield for us and set the table from the top of the order."
• Also returning with significant starting experience from last season are senior Patrick Rood and junior Thomas Paulich who combined to start 57 total games in 2019. Rood finished last season third on the team with six doubles and also added 19 hits and 15 runs scored. Paulich, meanwhile, provided the Ducks with some pop as seven of his 25 hits went for extra bases. He also was tied for second on the team with 24 RBIs despite starting just 26 total games.
• "Both Thomas and Patrick have a ton of experience," Aldins said "We expect Thomas to transition to shortstop this season and continue becoming the leader that we all know he can be. Patrick had a great sophomore campaign and we are confident he will be able to return to that form in 2020. He is one of the best bats in our lineup when he's going well."
• The Ducks will also bring back junior Nate Zuckerman and sophomore Sutton Dole who both started in double-digit games last season.
• Zuckerman figures to be Stevens' everyday catcher after throwing out six would-be base stealers last season. He committed just two errors behind the plate in 2019 in 123 total chances.
• Dole will be looking to return in a big way in 2020 after his freshman season was cut short due to injury. Prior to going down, Dole started 14 of the Ducks' first 22 games and had a .298 batting average. Despite playing in just 18 total games, Dole was tied for the team lead in home runs with four.
• Overall, Aldins likes what he has at the plate for the 2020 campaign.
• "We believe our lineup, led by our hitting coach Jayson Yano, is as deep as it's ever been," Aldins said. "We also have strong depth off the bench offensively, which will allow us to truly have a 'next man up' mentality at every position. Having depth is a great feeling for a coaching staff because inevitably there will be some surprises, both good and not so good, that happen throughout a baseball season."

Pitching Prowess

• Likely the starter on the hill in the first game of the season against Rutgers-Newark, Brierley looks to continue his success into his senior campaign. He finished fourth on the team last season with a 4.60 ERA after appearing in 15 games and making 15 starts. Brierley also was second on the team with 69 strikeouts in just 47.0 innings of game action last season and was named as the No. 13 Division III Major League Baseball prospect by Perfect Game prior to the season.
• "Chandler is a very hard worker who continues to make improvements every year," Aldins said. "He really came into his own in 2019 as a frontline starting pitcher and seems primed to have a huge senior year. Chandler is also one of our clear cut leaders who has the respect of everyone on our team."
• Now in his fourth year with the Ducks, Frissora will continue to be a big part of the Ducks pitching staff, this year as a starter. He led the staff with a 2.85 ERA last season, almost exclusively out of the bullpen, while registering 34 strikeouts in 41.0 innings and allowing a .258 batting average against. He also threw strikes at a high rate, only walking 10 batters all season.
• "Michael will be one of our opening day starters," Aldins said. "He has worked incredibly hard throughout his time at Stevens and has developed into arguably our top pitcher. He is an example of what can happen if you love the game, work hard, and put faith in the Stevens development program. This includes what we do on-the-field in team trainings, but most certainly also our strength and conditioning, sports medicine, and nutrition departments."
• Coming out of the bullpen, Smith figures to play a prominent role after posting a 3.51 ERA last season. Smith led the Ducks with 18 total appearances in 2019 and tossed 33.1 innings. He also posted a pair of saves and 24 Ks on the year.
• "Smitty is such a great competitor for us," Aldins said. "He has pitched in the biggest of situations late in games and is a proven strike-thrower in addition to being an excellent athlete on the mound. We expect him to contribute in a variety of different roles in 2020."
• Overall, the Ducks will turn to a wealth of young talent on the mound for 2020. Aldins is eager to see how the new injection of talent will show their abilities in the spring.
• "This past fall we brought in eight first-year pitchers," Aldins said. "We have been very impressed with the talent level, but only time will tell where the contributions will be and who they will come from. What I do know is that our first-year arms have been very impressive and have been working hard to give themselves a chance to contribute on-the-field in 2020. Coach Charles Thielmann has been a doing a great job getting them up to speed and acclimated to college baseball."

Tough Schedule

• Stevens will face a wealth of the top teams in DIII, playing nine total teams who at least received votes in either the D3Baseball.com or NCBWA Preseason polls.
• The Ducks open the season with a doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m. at DeBaun Athletic Complex.
• The 2020 schedule will feature games against No. 16/22 UMASS-Boston, No. 24/35 Rowan University, No. 14/28 Johns Hopkins and No. 26 Farmingdale State.
• Stevens will also venture down to Fort Myers, Florida, in mid-March for the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The Ducks will face off against Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, Lasell and The College at Old Westbury in the tournament.
• "Playing a challenging schedule has always been a staple of our program at Stevens," Aldins said. "This year will be no different. I feel as if challenging ourselves early and throughout prepares us well for our conference schedule. It also allows our coaching staff to see where our stronger and weaker points are so we can both play to our strengths and address any weaknesses heading into MAC Freedom play."

New Year, New Conference

• The Ducks will compete in the MAC Freedom for the first time in program history after spending the last eight seasons as a part of the Empire 8.
• Stevens advanced to the E8 Tournament in each of the last five seasons before exiting the conference.
• The Ducks were selected to finish third in the MAC Freedom in the preseason coaches' poll behind only No. 27 Misericordia University and RV DeSales University. Stevens collected 36 total points in the poll while DeSales finished with 44 and Misericordia had 48 with eight of the 10 first place votes.
• The Cougars won the MAC Freedom last season with a 35-13 overall record and a 16-5 record in conference play. They were ranked 27th in the NCWBA Preseason poll while the Bulldogs received votes.
• "We have played Misericordia nearly every year and also have matched up with DeSales and FDU in the past, so we do have a good sense of the level of competition in the MAC Freedom," Aldins said. "It's definitely very strong overall for the sport of baseball. We certainly have a lot to prove and are excited for the challenges our new conference will bring."

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