PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Already holding a non-conference record of 4-1 this spring, the Pace University baseball team will begin the NE10 portion of its schedule this weekend with a four-game series against AIC.

2021 Thus Far
The Setters have won four of their first five contests to start the new campaign. Pace's most recent triumphs came in the form of a doubleheader sweep of New Haven. The Blue and Gold also own wins over AIC and Adelphi.

Senior Matt Almonte (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) is Pace's leading hitter with a .444 batting average across 18 at-bats. He also holds the Setters' top marks in runs scored (10), on-base percentage (.545) and slugging (.667).

Classmates Mitchell McCabe (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford/ Bridgton Academy) (.333) and Dean DePreta (Stamford, Conn./Westhill High School) (.304) are also batting over .300 thus far, while Miles Kelly (Mattituck, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) leads Pace with six RBIs.

Michael Roll (Ramsey, N.J./Bergen Catholic High School) and Thomas Ippolito (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) have led the way on the mound. Roll is 2-0 so far with a 3.00 ERA, tallying 14 strikeouts across nine innings. Ippolito has yielded just one earned run, while striking out seven, in eight frames of work.

Pace in the Polls
The Setters were voted to finish third in the NE10's Southwest Division according to the preseason coaches poll released earlier this month. They were also recently inserted into the NCBWA East Poll, being voted in the No. 8 spot.

12 Games in 2020
The Blue and Gold were 5-7 in non-conference action prior to the COVID-19 shutdown last spring. Senior Greg Tsouprakos (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) is Pace's best offensive returner from 2020. He finished last year 14-for-40 (.350) at the dish with eight RBIs and six runs scored.

On the mound, Greg Najar (Howell, N.J./Freehold Township) appeared in a team-best six games in 2020 while Ippolito registered a team-high 17.1 innings of work.

Last Completed Year
Pace's 2019 campaign featured one of the best regular seasons in program history. The Setters put together a 31-14 record prior to falling to Le Moyne in the NE10 playoffs. Ippolito and classmate Dean DePreta (Stamford, Conn./Westhill High School) were each selected to the NE10's All-Conference Third Team in 2019.

The 2021 Slate
Pace's NE10 schedule will consist of 12 doubleheaders, beginning this weekend against the Yellow Jackets. The Setters will play four-game series against only the teams in the Southwest Division.

Coach Manning
Pace Baseball Head Coach Hank Manning ('90) is in the midst of his 21^st season leading the Setters. He is Pace's all-time winningest coach, currently sitting with 441 career victories with the Blue and Gold. The Setters' 2019 season marked the sixth 30-win campaign under Manning.

How to Follow
For all information regarding Pace University Athletics, log on to www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics), Twitter (@PaceUAthletics) and Instagram (@PaceAthletics).