BROOKLYN, N.Y.— The LIU Brooklyn baseball team, under the direction of third-year head coach Dan Pirillo begins the 2019 season with a three-game series at Lamar University, February 15-17.

OVERVIEW
The Blackbirds finished the 2018 campaign with a single-season program record in wins, finishing 31-26 and 16-12 in the Northeast Conference. LIU reached the Northeast Conference Tournament for the first time since 2013, winning all three of its contests to capture the program's first NEC Championship. LIU's NCAA Regional appearance was at the Conway Regional, taking on Coastal Carolina and UConn.

LIU returns 20 letter winners from last year's team, features a strong group of upperclassmen including 17 seniors, and welcomes seven new additions to this year's team. The Blackbirds were picked second in the NEC preseason coaches' poll earlier this month.

IN THE LINEUP
The Blackbirds return seven starters from last year's lineup that finished third in the NEC in team batting. LIU led the NEC in walks, with 279, and also on the base path, with 83 steals. The team's .375 on-base percentage ranked second in the conference. 

"We have a lot of guys from our lineup returning, along with the additions of Colin Adams and Tim Bechtold, who will be great for our offensive production," said Pirillo. "We expect some of the returners to have better seasons, building upon what they did last year,  with strong second half production that will hopefully carry over to this season."

2018 All-NEC selections Alex Briggs and Andrew Smith lead the returning group for the Blackbirds starting lineup. Briggs locked down the hot corner in his first season in downtown Brooklyn, leading LIU with 43 RBIs, eight home runs and 87 total bases along the way to first team All-NEC recognition. Smith earned second team All-NEC honors in center field, after batting .293 with a .418 on base percentage and an NEC-leading five triples last season.

Seniors Luis Arias de los Santos and Anthony Warneke return to lead the Blackbirds' middle infield again this season. Arias ranked third in the NEC in walks a season ago, and swiped 16 stolen bases in his third season at LIU. Warneke contributed 56 hits and a .373 on base percentage in his first season with the Blackbirds. Junior Rob Griswold also adds depth to the middle of the LIU infield, serving in the utility player role again this season.

Seniors Edward Modica Jr. and Brock Hallum add veteran presence behind the plate. Modica led the team with 59 hits, to go along with a .299 batting average in 43 starts at catcher. Hallum added 27 runs scored and 17 RBIs for the Blackbirds last year, seeing time at both catcher and designated hitter.

LIU's returning outfielders include Gregory Vaughn Jr. and Joe Mercadante who look to follow up on their strong play at the end of last season. Vaughn earned NEC Tournament MVP honors, after his five RBIs and four runs scored to help lead the Blackbirds to the NEC title. He finished the year with a team-high 42 runs scored. Mercadante recorded a .571 on-base percentage, along with three RBIs and three runs scored at Dodd Stadium to earn All-Tournament team honors.

The Blackbirds welcome a pair of junior college transfers who look to make an immediate impact. Sophomore Colin Adams will see time at first base and catcher for the Blackbirds, after batting .333 with 20 RBIs at Harford Community College last season. Junior Tim Bechtold will join the LIU outfield after batting .275 with 24 runs scored at Navarro College.

ON THE HILL
The Blackbirds return an experienced starting rotation and a handful of arms out of the bullpen to help set the tone for this season. "With Zach Pederson, Patrick Clyne and Jackson Svete coming back, they have a lot of championship experience and helps us feel comfortable on the front side of our pitching staff knowing what you can get out of them," said Pirillo. "Also we have a veteran bullpen, with Mike Kreiger and Rob Griswold finishing games for us. There is a lot of competition on the mound this year. Several young guys are going see real meaningful innings, and push guys for spots."

Junior Patrick Clyne, earned second team All-NEC honors with a stellar sophomore season. He earned NEC Pitcher of The Week on three occasions, and finished the year second in the conference with 89 strikeouts in 85.2 innings of work.

Senior Zach Pederson led the team with six wins last year, and finished second with 79.1 innings pitched in his first season at LIU. His 62 strikeouts ranked in the top-10 in the NEC, and he held opposing batters to a .266 average. Junior Jackson Svete slides into the weekend rotation after appearing in 23 games with four starts last season, including the win against Wagner in the NEC final. His 3.75 ERA on the year ranked third in the NEC.

LIU's bullpen is led by veteran duo in senior Mike Kreiger and Griswold. Kreiger paced the NEC circuit with 28 appearances last season. He ended the year with a 2.20 ERA, and tied for second in the NEC with seven saves. Griswold made 18 appearances in relief for LIU, splitting his time as the team's utility player. His poise on the mound was showcased during LIU's NEC championship run, throwing six innings of quality relief in a pair of wins.

The Blackbirds will bolster a deep bullpen this year with a handful of arms looking to throw meaningful innings. Freshmen Nick Torres and Alec Huertas. along with sophomores Ryan Neuweiler, James Steindl and Nick Desalvo , are all expected to make an impact on the hill.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
The Blackbirds go up against Lamar University for the second time in program history. The Cardinals swept the four-game series to open the 2014 campaign in Beaumont. Lamar finished the 2018 season 19-36 overall, 13-17 in the Southland Conference, and were picked eighth in this year's Southland Conference preseason coaches' poll. Shortstop Robin Adames, a two-time All-Southland Conference honoree is the team's top returning batter. He hit .298 a season ago, leading the team with 62 hits, 33 RBIs (33), 27 runs scored, 12 doubles and 5 home runs

Jason Blanchard is the Cardinals top returning starter on the mound after recording a 3.49 ERA in 12 starts last season. He held opposing hitters to just .269 average on the year and struck out 50 batters in 59.1 innings of work. Lamar's bullpen is led by Ryan Erickson, one of the top relievers in the Southland Conference. He registered a 1.66 ERA in 48.2 innings while striking out a team-high 60 batters.

ON DECK
The Blackbirds will head down to Florida to next weekend to kick off a 10-day road swing. LIU opens with a three-game series against Florida Gulf Coast University February 22-24.