Baseball | 1/30/2024 1:30:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – The Barry Buccaneers, ranked 15th in the D2Baseball Insider Preseason Poll, host four outstanding opponents at Feinbloom Field this weekend to start the 2024 schedule. 

"We're just excited to get going again," new Barry head coach Brett Young said. "We return the majority of both the offense and the pitching staff from a team that reached the Super Regional last year. Guys are excited to get out and play some outside competition after beating up on each other in intersquad games, like we've been doing since September."

The Bucs take on 2021 national champions Wingate on Thursday, Feb. 1 and 2022 national champs North Greenville on Friday, Feb. 2, with both games slated for 6:00 pm, before closing the weekend with Catawba (1:00 pm) and Washburn (5:00 pm) on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Barry returns 24 lettermen, including 2024 First-Team All-Conference outfielder Braden Forchic, and Second-Team selection outfielder Keven Noriega. Forchic led the team with a .356 average and 10 homers. He scored 41 runs and drove in 26. Noriega led the squad with 21 doubles, while batting .345 and driving in 46 runs. The Bucs also return starters in centerfield in Christian Maceda (.259, 47 runs, 26 SB, Gold Glove), first base in Evan Wickeri (.325, 54 runs, 29 SB), second base Brandon Sanchez (.330, 4 HR, 31 RBI), shortstop Savi Delgado (.273, 6 HR, 32 RBI) and the catching combo of Steven Nitch (.333, 3 HR, 25 RBI) and Matthew Menendez (.277, 4 HR, 24 RBI). On the mound, the Bucs return seven-game winner Angel Cespedes (5.22 ERA, 65 K, 58.2 IP) and Frank II Gonzalez (4-2, 4.84 ERA, 46 K, 61.1 IP) as starters and top reliever Federico Zapata (9 Sv, 2-2, 4.31 ERA, 33 K, 56.1 IP).

"The newcomers have really bought in great to what we're trying to do," Young said. "They are coming from winning programs and that was a big emphasis for us in recruiting. Two of the guys actually come from the national champion team in JuCo and they're going to be big pieces for us this year."

Felix Diaz (IF, Jr.) and Jimmy Bruno (IF, Jr.) helped lead Rowan-Gloucester to the NJCAA national championship. Diaz was an All-American and Bruno was the Defensive Most Outstanding player at the series. Nick Toms (OF, Jr.) was an all-conference player at Salem CC, while Benito Valle-Jhanda was one of the top arms in the California junior college league.

If you would like to keep up with all the action from the series, but can't make it out to the field, follow the links below. Live stats are provided by StatBroadcast, while the video stream is powered by BlueFrame Technology on the Sunshine State Conference Digital Network.

Inside the Matchups:

Series records: Series tied 3-3 with Wingate | 1st Meeting with North Greenville | Series tied 1-1 with Catawba | Barry leads Washburn 3-0
2023 Season records: Barry 35-19, 16-14 SSC; Wingate 32-18, 18-6 SAC; North Greenville 50-11, 26-4 CC; Catawba 27-24, 16-7 SAC; Washburn 30-22, 21-12 MIAA