The College of Staten Island Baseball Team begins the 2024 season today in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with their annual Spring Training trip, and the team enters this year having undergone a great deal of change in the offseason. Most notably, the Dolphins graduated a large senior class in 2023 which will force the team's new additions to fill the vacancies left behind by the team's departing players. A constant in the program is Head Coach Michael Mauro, who returns for his sixteenth season needing just five wins to reach 300 for his career. However, Mauro added a pair of assistants in the offseason in Vinny Fiore and 2023 CSI Baseball graduate Shendi Ulaj. Also joining the team this season are 17 first-year Dolphins, but many of those players do have previous collegiate playing experience. That group will be expected to play a major role this season and will undoubtedly factor into the success of a program that is searching for its first postseason berth in the East Coast Conference. Like last season, the Dolphins will return from Myrtle Beach to host opening weekend at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, the home of the Staten Island FerryHawks. The Dolphins will host games there on each of the first two weekends following their return from the Cal Ripken Experience before hosting their first game at the CSI Baseball Complex in mid-March. The Dolphins will also host a Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Sunday April 14th against Queens and the second iteration of Heroes Day on May 4th against Holy Family. Complicating CSI's bid for a playoff berth this year is the postseason eligibility of D'Youville University. This expands the field of eligible teams in the ECC to seven, four of which will qualify for the conference playoffs. The Dolphins enter the season optimistic they can be one of those teams and bring playoff Baseball back for a program that has been a mainstay in the conference championship picture for much of its recent history.
KEY RETURNERS
Ryan Kehoe - Jr. | Staten Island, NY
Kehoe is coming off a season following which he was named the CSI Athletics Breakout Athlete of the Year and was one of the best pitchers in the ECC. He more than halved his ERA from his freshman campaign last season and finished among the nation's leaders in strikeouts. His six wins were tied for the team lead with 2023 senior John Esposito and his 11 starts led the team last year. He unquestionably hopes to become the ace of the Dolphins pitching staff this year following the loss of one of the most prolific arms in program history. Should the junior take yet another big step forward this season, he will have the opportunity to join Esposito among the most impactful pitchers in the history of the program. His performance during the 2023 season has already put him near the forefront of that conversation for pitchers who have only been a part of the team during CSI's tenure in Division II.
AJ Vigliotti - Jr. | Staten Island, NY
Vigliotti transferred to CSI last season and made an immediate impact in the middle of the CSI lineup with one of the best offensive seasons in program history. His .430 batting average led the team, and he also led the Dolphins in numerous other offensive categories. These offensive numbers earned him a pair of ECC Player of the Week honors, a spot on the All-Conference First Team, a sport on the D2CCA All-East Region First Team, and a spot on the ABCA / Rawlings NCAA Division II East All-Region Second Team. Aside from the big numbers and accolades, his impact on the CSI lineup was immeasurable during the 2023 season, and he hopes to see his production help lead the team to their first Division II playoff berth in 2024.
Michael Kehoe - Jr. | Staten Island, NY
Kehoe proved himself to be one of the most versatile Dolphins last season splitting time behind the plate and in the outfield. Forming a dynamic battery alongside his brother Ryan, Kehoe was also very strong defensively in the outfield when called upon. During his sophomore season, he spent a good amount of time in center field in addition to his time behind the plate. However, this didn't stop him from hitting .336 on the season batting primarily out of the leadoff spot in the Dolphins lineup. He will undoubtedly play just as important of a role this year as he looks to take yet another step forward in his junior season.
Thomas Marten - Sr. | Lynbrook, NY
After his 2022 season failed to match the production of his first season with the Dolphins in 2021, Marten delivered a bounce back season in 2023. His .352 batting average was third on the team and he ranked near the top for the Dolphins across most offensive categories. As one of only three Dolphins currently with the program that has been with the team for three seasons, he will be called upon to fill a leadership role beyond his production on the field. Alongside Vigliotti, Kehoe, and sophomore Vincent Weigele, Marten is another big bat in the top half of the CSI lineup, and his production at the plate will be key to the team's success this season.
Vincent Weigele - So. | Staten Island, NY
Weigele was CSI's most impactful freshman among position players last season, and he immediately became one of the team's most dangerous hitters. During his freshman season, Weigele hit .350, and he wrapped up the 2023 season playing his best baseball of the year. Following the week's final season, he was recognized by the East Coast Conference as Rookie of the Week for the first time. He was also tasked with playing a difficult third base at the CSI Baseball Complex, and he filled the role well during his first season with the team. A player that will be counted on to contribute in a similar way this season, Weigele is poised for a big year if he makes even a small improvement over his performance as a freshman last year.
Bryan Birkhead - Sr. | Staten Island, NY
Birkhead is one of three seniors returning to the Dolphins for the 2024 season, and the 2023 season was his best yet, He posted a .278 batting average last year and achieved career-highs in hits, runs, and on-base percentage. He has also been a steady presence playing a difficult outfield at the CSI Baseball Complex and should maintain a similar role in his senior season.
Christian Rice - So. | Colts Neck, NJ
Rice joined the CSI rotation out of the gate in his freshman season and was impressive during his first year with the team. He earned an ECC Rookie of the Week honor early in the season and continued to build upon that early success throughout the rest of 2023. He served as the number three starter last season, but he will likely assume an even bigger role in the Dolphins rotation this year. He will be trying to follow up a season in which he was third on the team in ERA, innings-pitched, wins, and starts.