 NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team will kick off its 2009 campaign with a four-game series at Longwood beginning with a Friday afternoon showdown starting at 1 p.m.
Along with the season opener, the Blue Hens and Lancers will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single-game on Sunday. The weekend action also starts at 1 p.m.
Delaware returns 18 letterwinners and seven starters from last year’s team that went 22-31 and finished ninth in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Blue Hens will be led into action by a strong corps of returning players from the 2008 squad. Junior first baseman Ryan Cuneo highlights the group of returning stars after earning preseason All-Conference honors this season.
In 2008, Cuneo had a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him post a team-high .351 batting average. A starter in 41 games, he also clubbed six home runs, notched 48 RBI, and scored 30 runs. He eventually finished the season ranked third in the CAA with a .408 batting average during conference play.
Along with Cuneo, Delaware’s roster is highlighted by six seniors, including last year’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Ryan Reed, who was named the 2008 MVP, will once again guide the Hens as the team’s starting catcher. Last year, he hit .299 with five home runs and 25 RBI while playing sturdy defense behind the plate.
Kyle Davis, the top defender on the squad, will anchor the middle infield defense and serve as a captain. One of the top lead-off hitters in the conference last year, he will once again return to the top of the lineup after hitting .292 with 22 doubles and 50 run scored in that spot in 2008.
Scott Shockley, who will also serve as a co-captain, joins with fellow seniors Bill Merkler, Chris Nehl, and Jared Olson (at right) to provide the remainder of the veteran leadership on a youthful squad.
Longwood returns six starters and seven pitchers from last year’s team that went 23-26-1. Phil Cerreto leads the incumbents after hitting a team-best .395 last season. Lance Harting headlines the pitchers after posting six wins and a 3.04 ERA as a sophomore in 2008.
The meeting is the first between the two programs. The Lancers are in their second year competing in Division I athletics after serving as a perennial power at the Division II level since 1978.
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