CSI in the News - CSI Today

CSI men's baseball opens at home today against nationallyranked SUNY-CortlandPublished: Friday, March 04, 2011, 12:45 PMBy Jim WaggonerBreak out the bats, balls and ... ear muffs?The College of Staten Island returned from a season-opening five-game trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., in timefor today’s home opener against nationally ranked SUNY-Cortland.The Willowbrook ballpark was given the green light, so third-year head coach Mike Mauro is expected to begiving the green light to his Dolphin batters in the 3:30 p.m. single game under less-than-balmy weatherconditions.Mauro and troops arrived home yesterday with a 1-4 record after dropping two to nationally rankedChristopher Newport. The Dolphins received dazzling pitching debuts from senior left-handers Pat Gale andJames Mardikos, who might be launching a promising literary career with his informative "Mardy on theMound" blog found on the school’s athletics website.Gale, an All-American last year, and Mardikos both tossed seven shutoutinnings down south, but CSI managed just one win out of the two games.SUNY-Cortland (1-3) arrives from upstate with rich baseball credentials: TheRed Dragons lost the NCAA Division III national championship game last springand have qualified for the NCAAs in 18 consecutive seasons. They were 40-10-1last year and began the current season ranked second by the NationalCollegiate Baseball Writers Association.That’s the type of program that CSI, of the financially-strapped CUNYConference, can dream about. The Dolphins were a school-record 31-11 lastspring under the ambitious Mauro, but a weak strength-of-schedule doomedtheir hopes for an NCAA at-large bid.CSI senior Pat Gale(Staten IslandAdvancephoto/HiltonFlores)Hence a stab at a beefed-up non-conference schedule, with nationalpowerhouse Kean and William Paterson also on the slate.Page 74 of 179