Baseball | 1/4/2019 1:46:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- The 2019 slate of games for the Barry University baseball team will be quite challenging, with 17 games against teams ranked in the final Collegiate Baseball (CB) national poll from 2018.

"We wanted to crank up the quality of the schedule and I think we really have this season," head coach Juan Ranero said. "In addition to the ranked teams, we face three others who won their league."

The Bucs went 22-28 last season and finished tied for eighth in the Sunshine State Conference at 9-21. Outfielder Andrew Rapoza and DH Paul Salata were selected to the second-team All-SSC.

After prepping for the season with tuneup games against Miami-Dade College and Palm Beach State College, the Bucs settle into the real grin against Tusculum on Feb. 1. The Pioneers were 25-27 last season and tied for fifth in the South Atlantic Conference. First-Team All-SAC members outfielder Jarel McDade and second baseman Daulton Martin are back for the 2019 season. The Bucs are 2-2 all-time with Tusculum and have won the last two.

The Bucs face Bentley from the Northeast-10 on Feb. 3. The Falcons were 20-21 last season and fourth in the Northern Division. All-Conference pick Brandon Grover is the top returner. Barry has won the only two meetings between the teams, a two-game sweep in 2007.

SSC play cranks up early for the Bucs, as they travel to Davie, Fla., to take on the Nova Southeastern Sharks, ranked 20th in the CB pre-season poll, on Feb. 7-9. The Sharks went 35-16 last season, including 24-6 in the SSC to finish second. First-team All-SSC outfielder Sam Duran and second-team starting pitcher Brady Acker top the list of returners for the Sharks. Barry leads the all-time series 55-45-1, but has won just twice in the last 12 games.

As it will several times on the season, the Bucs will face a conference foe in non-conference action on Feb. 11 when they visit the Florida Tech Panthers. Florida Tech finished 20-30 last season, 12-18 and in sixth place in the SSC. Third baseman Raul Quintero was a second-team All-SSC pick last season. The Panthers lead the series 64-61 after winning 11 of the last 13 games.

The Bucs return home to host the Felician Golden Falcons Feb. 15-17 in a three-game set. The Falcons went 30-25 last season, but an impressive 25-7 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) to win the title. LT Struble, a first-team utility pick, is the top returner for the Falcons. The Bucs are 6-1 all-time against Felician.

The Bucs' tough start to conference play continues Feb. 22-23 when they visit the Florida Southern Moccasins. The Mocs were 45-11-1 last season, 22-8 in the SSC to finish third. They were selected to host the South Region Tournament and open the season ranked fourth in the CB poll. All of the Mocs' all-conference picks from a year ago are gone, except Jacob Teeter, the SSC Freshman of the Year. The Mocs hold a 72-22 edge in the series.

The Bucs start their longest home stand of the season Mar. 1-2 when they entertain the Saint Leo Lions. The Lions improved from last place to fourth in 2018, going 38-11 and 21-9 in the SSC. A trio of second-team All-SSC picks highlight the roster for the pre-season 23rd-ranked Lions: catcher Brett Coffel, outfielder Amir Wright and utility man Peyton Isaacson. After sweeping the season series last year in St. Leo, the Lions lead 60-58-1.

Barry hosts Wilmington (Del.) on Mar. 5. The Wildcats were 35-21, with a quartet of juniors earning All-CACC honors. Second baseman Max Carney, starting pitcher Brad Scull and Sean Deely and reliever Justin Mears, were all named to the first-team as the 'Cats finished second. The Bucs are 5-0 against the Wildcats, including a thrilling 15-14 win last season.

Another CACC foes comes calling on Mar. 7 when Chestnut Hill invades Feinbloom Field. The Griffons were 23-21 last season. Catcher Eric Gilham was picked to the second-team All-CACC. Barry is 5-0 all-time against the Griffons and have top 10 runs in each game.

Adelphi, from the NE-10, makes their trip to south Florida on Mar. 8. The Panthers were 26-18-1 last year, 14-9 in the NE-10. Outfielder Lucas Terwilliger was a third-team all-conference pick, while pitcher Max Steele and Mark Novello made the All-Rookie Team. Barry is 5-2 all-time in the series, including the last four in a row.

Mar. 9 brings the Molloy Lions to the friendly confines. The Lions were 31-21 and tied for first in the East Coast Conference at 18-6. Catcher Sean Hogan was a first-team All-ECC pick. The Bucs are 5-1 against the Lions and have won four in a row.

Back into the NE-10 on Mar 11 and 12 as the Bucs host American International and Merrimack. AIC was 19-25 last season, including 10-16 in the league. Matt Costanza was a first-team all-league pick as a utility player. Barry leads the all-time series 6-0. The Warriors were 31-21 and 18-11 in the conference. Matt Ronai was a first-team pick at DH. The Bucs are 6-0 against the Warriors, but have not played them since 2015.

The Bucs dive back into conference play, hosting the Lynn Knights on Mar. 15-17 to conclude the 12-game home stand. The Knights were 22-28 last season, 9-21 in the SSC. Both of the Knights' all-conference picks, including player of the year Pat Dorian, graduated and were taken in the MLB draft. The Bucs lead 59-52-1 in the series, but have dropped the last four.

The Bucs visit the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish on Mar. 19 in a non-SSC game. The 'Fish were 26-24, 14-16 in the SSC, last year. Without a retuning all-conference player, pitcher Mitch Carroll and outfielder Connor Rowland are the top returners. The Bucs hold a 53-33 edge in the series, despite losing four of the last five games.

The Bucs host second-ranked Tampa on Mar. 22-23. The Spartans, the defending conference champs, were 42-11 last season, 27-3 in the SSC. Outfielder Nick DeTringo and pitcher Kevin Pimentel were first-team picks last season. Tampa, who won the first 17 games, leads the series 78-25.

The Nova Southeastern Sharks visit Feinbloom Field on Mar. 26 for a non-conference game.

Barry faces Eckerd on the road in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Mar. 29-30. The Tritons were 22-27, 10-20 and seventh place in the SSC. Though the Tritons has no all-conference players last season, they return their top two hitters in outfielder Garrett Hiott and third baseman Mitch Calandra and their top pitcher in Dillon McCollough. Barry leads 68-38 in the series, on the strength of a 25-game winning streak from 2006-14.

Palm Beach Atlantic comes to Feinbloom for the SSC series Apr. 5-6, and the Bucs host Nova Southeastern in a non-conference game on Apr. 9.

The Bucs play their last non-conference series Apr. 13-14 when they host the Montevallo Falcons from the Gulf South Conference. Montevallo was 35-19, 20-9 in the GSC and were ranked 20th in the final CB poll of 2018. The Bucs have faced the Falcons just once winning 7-2 in 2001.

The Bucs travel to Rollins on Apr. 18-19. The Tars were 20-29 last season and finished last in the SSC at 8-22. The Tars lead 60-46 in the series, though Barry has won the last five in a row.

The Bucs close out the home portion of the schedule Apr. 26-27 against the Embry-Riddle Eagles. The Eagles were 20-30 last season and tied with the Bucs at 9-21 in the SSC. Second baseman Kyle Marsh and outfielder Kyle Guttveg were first-team picks in the conference last season. Embry-Riddle won tow of three games in Daytona Beach, Fla., last year, but Barry leads 7-4 in the series.

The Bucs close the season with a single at at Palm Beach Atlantic on Apr. 30 and a three-game conference series at Florida Tech on May 4-5.