The Iona University baseball team is past the halfway point of the season and currently holds an overall record of 7-25 and an in-conference record of 3-6. 

The Gaels struggled in the 2022 season with only six total wins but have seen improvement in the 2023 season with seven wins and 19 games remaining. 

The team started out the season on the road traveling to both Virginia and North Carolina twice. The Gaels faced tough competition but were able to come out with wins against Radford University and the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. 

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play began for the Gaels on March 31 against the reigning MAAC champions, Canisius College. Both teams battled bad weather throughout the weekend, but despite three hard-fought games, the Griffins swept the Gaels in their opening MAAC weekend with scores of 2-18, 4-7 and 5-7. 

The Gaels hosted St. Peter’s University on April 6 for their home opener defeating the Peacocks 14-12. Iona dropped game two 4-11 but came back to win game three 12-10, securing the series win. 

Iona’s next MAAC match-up was against Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut from April 14-16. The Gaels fell to the Bobcats in the first game 10-24 but came back the next day to take the win 9-6. However, the Gaels were not able to put an offense together in the final game of the series and lost 1-16. 

Senior captain Jake Field has been a key player for the Gaels, leading the team in almost every offensive category. He sits with the sixth highest batting average in the conference with .375 and is tied for first with 12 doubles. Field also leads the team with six homeruns and 32 runs batted in. 

Field was named ‘MAAC Player of the Week’ on April 11 for his standout performance with a .571 batting average, three homeruns and eight runs batted in. Not only has Field been a spark in the offense but, as a veteran captain for two years in a row, he has been a role model for the team’s young squad. 

“Going into this season I wanted to make the freshmen and transfers feel at home and help to make them a big part of the team,” Field said. “They are the future of this program, so it is important that the upperclassmen make them feel welcomed.” 

Senior Jimmy Pasquale has also been contributing to the offense with a .272 batting average, seven doubles and 15 runs batted in. For the defensive side, Carl Kuentzel has been consistent on the mound with the lowest earned run average for the Gaels at 4.85, the most innings pitched and 23 strikeouts. 

“Carl puts the team in a position to win games,” Field said. “That is all we need on the mound.” 

The Gaels look to pick up a few more conference wins as they face Siena College in New Rochelle on April 21-23. 

“If we improve the defensive side of our game by letting up less runs and keep our bats hot, we will see more wins in our future,” Pasquale said.