THIS WEEKEND
Games #1-4
USF (0-0, 0-0 WCC) at Northern Colorado (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
Friday, February 17 - Sunday, February 19
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif.
Live stats: USFDons.com | Audio/Video: TheW.tv

PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, February 17 | 2 p.m.
USF: RHP Thomas Ponticelli (0-0, 0.00)     NC: RHP Cody Carroll (0-0, 0.00)

Saturday, February 18 | 11 a.m./2:30 p.m. (Double-Header)
Game 1: USF: RHP Grant Goodman (0-0, 0.00)     NC:  LHP Keenan Lum (0-0, 0.00)
Game 2: USF: RHP Daniel Slominski (0-0, 0.00)     NC: RHP Aaron Hamilton (0-0, 0.00)

Sunday, February 19 | 1 p.m.
USF: LHP Sam Granoff (0-0, 0.00)     NC: RHP Ian Doughty (0-0, 0.00)
 
The University of San Francisco baseball team is opening the 2017 season this Friday at 2 p.m. against Northern Colorado. This will be the first season opener ever for the Dons in the newly renovated Benedetti Diamond and the first time the Dons open a season at home since 2013. It's also especially notable following a 2016 season which saw the Dons play nearly all their games on the road.

"We're extremely, extremely excited to start any season," Head coach Nino Giarratano, who is entering his 19^th season on the Hilltop, said. "This season there is more and more heightened excitement because we get to play at home to start the season. Last year we had to go through 45 games on the road before we had the opportunity to get home. It's going to be nice to see a home crowd, sleep in your own bed, take batting practice on your own field; but most importantly it's going to be great seeing our own fans."

It will be a veteran team that takes the field on Friday afternoon with all eight projected starters being upperclassmen that have either played for the Dons or in the WCC already in their careers. Four of the starters are seniors (Matt Sinatro, Nico Giarratano, Allen Smoot and Harrison Bruce) and four of them are juniors (Dominic Miroglio, Ross Puskarich, Michael Perri and Brady Bate). Among the veteran laden team, two of them were voted preseason All WCC selections: reigning WCC Defensive Player of the Year, Giarratano and 2016 breakout slugger, Puskarich (.331 BA/5 HR/29 RBI in 2016).
 
Thomas Ponticelli is slated to toe the rubber in game one of the season. He will be the youngest player on the field Friday, but he is not short on experience as he pitched in 16 games last year as a freshman, 12 of them as a starter. He posted a record of 4-6 with a 5.94 ERA in 72.2 innings while striking out 44 batters.

Saturday will see two starters go as a part of a double-header. First up will be Grant Goodman who is starting to hit his stride in season two post-Tommy John Surgery. Then in the afternoon game, Daniel Slominski, a transfer from the College of San Mateo will make his Dons debut. To close out the series for the rotation will be the return of lefty Sam Granoff who missed all of last season due to injury. 

"No matter which of the four of them we are talking about, we're looking for five innings maybe six from them," Giarratano explained. "I think if those four guys can eat up 20-24 innings over the weekend, our bullpen can pick up the other innings between the eight guys we'll use out of that bullpen."

With opening weekend, the first ever home opener in the new yard and Dons debuts on the horizon, the entire group of Diamond Dons are starting to get energized, but coach Giarratano could pick out a few that were looking forward to taking the field the most.

"Sam Granoff is one, because he sat out for a whole year, I think he's excited for the season to start," Giarratano said. "Michael Perri, too, because he sat out a whole year after transferring from Pepperdine, is excited for the season to start. And I think every freshman in Division-1 baseball, including our guys, are excited for the season to start. Everyone else is sort of status quo."

As far as expectations for the start of the season go, Giarratano has high hopes for the Diamond Dons, with one slight caveat.

"We want to get in the first four games, first of all," Giarratano said with a slight chuckle when referencing the potential of literal rain on the opening day parade this weekend. "Second of all, I expect us to play well enough to be successful. I hope we can settle in and do the things we are capable of early in the season. We want to win every game we play, so the expectation is to win all four of them. But we have to do that one game at a time, one inning at a time and one pitch at a time."

As for the visitors, they will undoubtedly be looking to spoil the home opener for the Dons and will have the means to do so.

"They play in a good conference and they're offensive enough to score a lot of runs in our ballpark," Giarratano noted. "Whichever team pitches the best and plays the best defense is going to have a chance to win."

A number of players will be making their debut or returning to the Dons in 2017, led by none other than Dominic Miroglio. The junior backstop was drafted in the 16^th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, but decided to return to USF. He missed nearly the entire 2016 season with a hand injury, but as a sophomore in 2015 he hit .340 with 11 doubles and 38 RBI. 

Another new starter is Michael Perri. He is not new to the program, though, as he sat out all of last season after transferring from Pepperdine. Perri is a big, physical second baseman who would be a short stop on most teams. He spent time as a short stop and a pitcher while at Pepperdine.

With 25 home games on tap this year for the Dons, there will be plenty of chances to see this veteran team in action. Season tickets are available by clicking here. Single game tickets are available by clicking here.

For a more in depth look at the position groups before the season starts, click on a link below:
Infielders
Outfielders
Pitchers
Catchers

2017 PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

1. CF Matt Sinatro    .305 BA / 40 R / 26 steals
2. SS Nico Giarratano    .251 BA / 28 RBI / 34 R
3. 3B Allen Smoot    .321 BA / 14 2B / 33 RBI
4. C Dominic Miroglio*    .340 BA / 11 2B / 38 RBI
5. 1B Ross Puskarich    .331 BA / 5 HR / 29 RBI
6. DH Dan James     .257 BA / 3 HR / 23 RBI
    Manny Ramirez Jr.    .145 BA / 2 2B / 2 RBI
7. LF Harrison Bruce    .260 BA / 8 2B / 12 steals
8. 2B Michael Perri^    .219 BA / 4 R / 1 3B
9. RF Brady Bate    .230 BA / 6 HR / 18 RBI
*2015 stats
^2014 stats at Pepperdine