The Stags open their 2011 campaign on Friday, February 25 with the first of four games at William & Mary. LiveStats will be available for all four games by visiting www.tribeathletics.com.

 

The Tribe, who went 27-24 in 2010, opened last weekend at No.5 Oklahoma, falling in four games to the Sooners. Fairfield and William & Mary have faced each other just three times in program history, with the Tribe holding a 2-1 record against the Stags. Fairfield's lone win came in the final meeting between the two teams back on March 15, 1992.

 

The Stags will be tested in their first match-up of the season against their Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe and they will carry that experience through a demanding 2011 schedule. The Fairfield slate features three NCAA Tournament participant teams along with additional teams from the Big East, Ivy League, and Atlantic-10.

 

It's the final season for Head Coach John Slosar and what better way to go out than to qualify for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship tournament. The Stags have several key elements in place – a solid defensive core, a potent offense, and a wealth of talent. If Fairfield puts it all together game in and game out, they will have a successful season and qualify for the postseason, a goal they've just missed over the last few seasons.

 

Among the bevy of returnees is sophomore Anthony Hajjar who was the only underclassman selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Team. The 2010 MAAC Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-American honoree posted .380 batting average and 76 hits, setting the Fairfield single season record, in his debut. Hajjar was second on the team in RBI with 46 to go along with 37 runs scored, 14 doubles, seven homeruns, and two triples. He also reached base in 45 of 50 games in which he played.

 

Also returning is middle infielder Tucker Nathans who has appeared in all 146 games the Stags have played since 2008 and has made 133 consecutive starts. Nathans is one of five Stags to have more than 100 RBI and 100 runs scored in a career and is in Fairfield's top-ten in career hits (201), doubles (45), triples (7), RBI (120), batting average (.354), and slugging percentage (532). Last season, Nathans was an All-MAAC Second Team selection as well as an NEIBA All-Star selection after starting all 50 games, hitting .357 with 75 hits, the second most in single season history. He also led the team in RBI (50) and doubles (22) both one shy of the single season record, had seven home runs and two doubles, a .581 slugging percentage, and 10 stolen bases in addition to 24 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games.

 

The Stags also return designated hitter Carmine DeVito who batted .298 with 43 RBI and 38 runs scored and set the Fairfield single season record with 13 homers and added 31 walks on year ago. DeVito notched 14 multi-hit games, a team-best 13 multi-RBI games, and finished the season on an 11-game hitting streak.

 

In the outfield, Marco Garamella will return to left field while junior Ryan Furbeck will continue to patrol centerfield. They will be joined by junior Tyler Wosleger will make the move into right field. Garamella appeared in 44 games with 38 starts in his first full season with the Stags and hit .288 with 36 RBI and 27 runs scored. Furbeck appeared in 35 games last season, starting 22 of those games in centerfield. He hit .221 with 20 runs scored and 16 walks. He also turned in a .977 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 43 chances. Wosleger was a solid bat off the bench, hitting .480 (12-for-25) with 12 runs scored and eight driven in last season for the Stags.

 

Senior Chris Horning will continue to be the catching workhorse this season. Horning has been behind the plate almost every day over the last two seasons, appearing in 85 games with 83 starts. Horning will catch a talented pitching staff which includes Scott Gussaroff, a righthander who returns for a fifth season with the Stags and junior Gavin McCullough, who made five appearances with three starts before an injury cut his Fairfield debut short. Sophomore Mark Bordonaro will move from his closer role to the starting rotation after a solid rookie season. He made 22 appearances with a 5-2 record and five saves. The righty made collegiate debut at VCU, picking up the win after an inning of relief. He also picked up relief wins against Valparaiso, Quinnipiac, Bryant, and Rider.

 

Fairfield also will have 12 newcomers on the field this season – 10 freshmen, a junior college transfer, and a sophomore transfer. Junior Brett Shulick joins the Stags after two years at UConn-Avery Point where he was named the Pitcher of the NJCAA DII Tournament and helped his team finish as the national runners-up in 2010. Sophomore catcher Gary Esposito heads north from the University of Tampa where he redshirted his freshman season.