The Iona College baseball team had a solid 2017 campaign as the Gaels went 25-26, which was their best overall record in the past 10 years.

The Gaels also played above .500 within the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, posting a 14-10 record. It was the team’s highest in-conference record in the last 10 years, so, the Gaels definitely had a year to build off of.

Let’s take a look at this year’s club as the Gaels gets ready to start the 2018 season against the University of Charlotte in North Carolina on Feb. 16.

Key players that have left:

The Gaels had a solid mixture of under and upperclassmean on the team, with a total of roster featured 21 upperclassmen and 13 underclassmen on their roster.

Here is a look at key players that left the team:.

Matt Byrne (Infielder)- Iona will feel Byrne’s absence in the order.

Byrne, who was a senior last season, finished the year with a .296 average, .432 slugging percentage and an extremely solid on-base percentage of .396. He also collected 37 hits, six homers and 16 RBI.

Jared Finkel (Pitcher)- The Gaels rotation will have to fill a big hole with the departure of Finkel. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 23rd round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft.

Finkel was lights out for Iona in 2017. He had 24 appearances and pitched to an unhittable 1.41 ERA.

Finkel also had 11 saves, 23 punch outs and held opponents to a .182 average against. He pitched rookie ball for the Elizabethton Twins, collecting a 2.18 ERA in 17 games.

Bill Maier (Pitcher)– Like Finkel, Maier’s absence will be leave a big void on the team.

Maier was a workhouse for Iona, eating up 85.1 innings pitched, and starting 13 games last season. He won eight games, struck out 59 batters and tossed a complete-game gem.

Maier’s rubber-arm will be missed by the Gaels.

Key returning players:

Junior Fran Kinsey (Infielder/Outfielder)- Kinsey has played a vital role on Iona’s roster since 2016.

Kinsey finished 2017 with a stellar .319 batting average, .401 slugging percentage and .392 on base percentage. He had 58 hits, one homer and 38 RBI.

Senior Patrick Ryan (Pitcher)- Ryan’s significance will play an even larger role this season due to the departure of both Finkel and Maier. He also had a great year as a starter in 2017.

Ryan started 14 games, going 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA. He pitched 69.0 innings, struck out 44 batters and will look to lead the Gaels rotation as a senior.

Senior Joe DeRosa (Pitcher)- Like Ryan, DeRosa will be asked to help bolster the team’s starting pitching rotation. He has been a solid pitcher for the Gaels the past two seasons.

DeRosa went 2-5, but he only had a 3.34 ERA in 13 starts. DeRosa pitched in 67.1 innings and tallied 38 strikeouts.

Review

The Gaels roster will feature one-less upperclassmaen than last year, which means head coach Pat Carey will have a lot of experience on this year’s club.

This experience is what will help the players guide the Gaels towards another great season.

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