The boys of spring are ready to take the field once again as the Norwich University Baseball team will open their season Friday afternoon. Last season the Cadets were off and running to one of their hottest starts in program history and are looking to build on that momentum, as they were projected to finish sixth in this year's Great Northeastern Athletic Conference (GNAC) preseason poll.

"This is the deepest group of players we have had, since I have been here," Head Coach Frank Pecora said. "The talent level has increased dramatically, and they continue to push each other in the weight room and in practice.  What may start out as a starting line-up early in the year, may not stay that way as guys continue to compete, improve, and challenge for their position.  This should be a very interesting and very competitive season."

Among key returners for the Cadets are their three most consistent hitters from the previous season, all of whom finished the year with a batting average over .300. Last season's batting leader among qualified hitters was senior Abel Oropeza (Whittier, Calif.) with a .346 average. Second on the team was senior captain Hayden Roberge (Middlesex, Vt.) at .333. Roberge also led the team in RBI (22) and walks (12). Third was sophomore outfielder Jakob Hayes (Arlington, Texas) who batted .319 in his freshman year, was second on the team in RBI (19) as well as total bases (45), led the team in home runs (2) and led qualified batters in slugging percentage (.479). Another notable return in the outfield is junior Tyler Callahan (Arlington, Mass.) who was another top contributor on offense, while also receiving GNAC All-Defensive Team honors.

Norwich also boasts a young and promising starting rotation as two of their top starters are sophomores in Ben Emero (Medway, Mass.) and Ryan Miller (Westhampton, N.Y.) in addition to juniors Nick Beavin (Montpelier, Vt.) and Matt Ingraffia (Lake Grove, N.Y.). Beavin was second in the GNAC last season in saves (4). The pitching staff is also where there are a lot of newcomers including Nathan Abbott (Freeport, Maine), Robert Rosko (Oxford, Conn.) and Riley Geyer (Augusta, Maine).

The Cadets will open their 2023 campaign with a visit to Centenary University in Hackettstown, N.J. for a doubleheader consisting of seven inning and nine inning games on Feb. 24 at 11:30 AM.