Pirates Open 2025 Season At MLB Desert Invitational - Seton Hall University Athletics
The Seton Hall baseball team opens the 2025 season this weekend at the prestigious MLB Desert Invitational in Arizona from Feb. 14-16.
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Seton Hall baseball team opens the 2025 season this weekend at the prestigious MLB Desert Invitational in Arizona from Feb. 14-16.
- The Pirates' Friday and Sunday games will be streamed on MLB.com and their Saturday contest against Austin Peay will be broadcast live on MLB Network.
- After a 2023 season where The Hall went 31-24 overall and 13-8 in the BIG EAST, qualified for the conference tournament and its staff was named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, the Pirates had a down year in 2024 and will look to bounce back in 2025.
- The Pirates return All-BIG EAST First Team pitcher Ryan Reich, who led the BIG EAST with 89 strikeouts and finished with the second-most strikeouts (51) and the third-lowest opponent's batting average (.194) in conference play.
- His 89 strikeouts were the most for a Seton Hall pitcher since 2014.
- Six of Reich's seven starts in league play went at least five innings, including a career-best outing against Georgetown on April 6 when he struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings of work.
- Reich and the Pirates' Friday starter Dan Frontera (39 app., 24 GS, 6-12) appeared on D1Baseball.com's list of the top 150 starting pitchers in the country.
- D1Baseball.com also tabbed freshman right-handed pitcher Stephen BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year.
- An America East All-Rookie Team selection at NJIT last season, sophomore outfielder AJ Soldra was named Best Transfer in the BIG EAST by Baseball America.
- Seton Hall is 1-4 all-time against San Diego State and 1-0 against New Mexico.
- Head coach Rob Sheppard enters his 22nd season at the helm of his alma mater with a record of 543-528 and 3.
- His nephew, Ty Blankmeyer, is also in the field at the MLB Desert Invitational as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt.
