PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The 20^th season for Hank Manning as head coach of the Pace University baseball team will commence on Friday afternoon in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Setters' opening weekend will feature four contests against the likes of University of Bridgeport, Post University and Concordia College.

A Look Back
Pace put together a 31-15 record last spring, finishing with the program's highest winning percentage (.674) since 1985. The Setters appeared in their fifth-straight conference tournament after a second-place finish in the NE10's Southwest Division. Pace's season ultimately ended in a first-round, 2-1, loss to Le Moyne.

2019 Departures
The Setters will look to replace a pair of key contributors from last season, Dan Wirchansky (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland/RCC) and Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, N.J./Waldwick). They were each named to the NE10 All-Conference First Team, in addition to making a trio of All-Region squads. Wirchansky ended his career as the Setters' all-time leader in both strikeouts (230) and ERA (1.89).

Setter Staff
Pace returns a plethora of pitchers from last spring, including NE10 third-team selection, Thomas Ippolito (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). Ippolito posted a 6-1 record on the mound in 2019, with an ERA of 2.04.

Michael Roll (Ramsey, N.J./Bergen Catholic High School) will also return after being named to the conference's All-Rookie Team as a freshman. Pace's leader in saves (5) from a year ago, Lorenzo Russo (East Northport, N.Y./Commack), will be back as well after striking out 45 batters across 47.2 innings.

Other All-Conference Returners
Junior Dean DePreta (Stamford, Conn./Westhill High School) represented the Setters offensively on the NE10's All-Conference Third Team after leading Pace with 30 RBIs, to go along with a .297 batting average and 28 runs scored.

More Blue and Gold Bats
The Setters will also be looking for offensive production from Luke Jacobi (Edison, N.J./JP Stevens) after a year in which he ranked second on the team in both batting average (.335) and on-base percentage (.428). Senior Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) led Pace in home runs (6) in 2019, while ranking second on the squad in RBIs (28).

Preseason Polls
The Setters were slotted seventh in the preseason NCBWA East Region Poll. They were also picked to finish third in the NE10's Southwest Division.

How to Follow
For all information regarding Pace University baseball, visit www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Baseball on Twitter (@PaceUBaseball) and on Instagram (@PaceUBaseball).