BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University baseball team is ready to start the 2024 campaign with a non-conference game at Kean (N.J.) University on Monday, February 12 with first pitch set 2:30 p.m. with the contest moved a day earlier due to the weather forecast.

Second-year Head Coach Douglas Coe has 23 student-athletes returning from last year's squad.

Coach Coe returns all but one of his starting infielders from 2023. Senior Cole Cherkas is back at first base after hitting .369 a year ago with 42 hits, 15 runs, six doubles, a triple, two homers and 26 RBIs while graduate student Chris Pow, who earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team in 2021, returns for a fifth year at second base after recording a .360 batting average, 49 hits, 22 runs, 29 RBIs, 12 doubles and one home run last spring. Senior shortstop Paul Croyle contributed 32 hits, 20 runs, 12 RBIs, six doubles, a triple and a homer while senior catcher Connor Wengryn, who was selected to the Landmark All-Conference Second Team in 2022, had 36 hits, 19 runs, 19 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple and a homer last season.

The Greyhounds return all three starters in the outfield with seniors center fielder Matt Madigan and left fielder David Olsakowski and junior right fielder Nick Henry all back. Madigan collected 40 hits, 28 runs, 14 RBIs, three doubles, a triple and 10 stolen bases to go with a .333 batting average while Olsakowski contributed 25 hits, 16 runs, three doubles, a home run and 13 RBIs a year ago. Henry hit .314 with 43 hits, 24 runs, 25 RBIs, six doubles, two triples and a homer last spring.

Moravian brings back ten pitchers that tossed innings last season led by junior Matt Snyder, who has a 2-1 record with one save, a 4.85 ERA. Graduate student Ethan Weber posted 20 strikeouts, a 1-1 record and one save in 16 innings of work while senior David Ciaccio was 2-5 with 25 strikeouts in a team-high 49 innings of action. Sophomore Ross Huffman was 1-3 with a save and 30 strikeouts in 36.2 innings while graduate student Noah Ingalls had a team-best 31 strikeouts in 36 innings on the mound. Junior Aaron Flyte contributed 15 strikeouts in 18.2 innings of action while sophomore Stefano Garofalo tossed 14 innings with six strikeouts and a 1-0 record. Junior Chris Medei had a 1-1 record, two saves and 11 strikeouts in 11 innings of action while senior Rony Minier tossed six innings with three strikeouts last spring and sophomore Max Sponheimer had seven strikeouts in seven innings.

Watch a season preview video including interviews with Coach Coe, Henry and Olsakowski below.