The Iona College baseball team’s season is officially underway, as the Gaels has dropped their first three games of the year on the road against UNC Charlotte in North Carolina.

One of the bright spots in those games was junior outfielder Fran Kinsey, who supported a .385 batting average with a run batted in.  

Kinsey has a .304 batting average, 51 RBI and a .375 on base percentage in his first two seasons in an Iona uniform.

Head coach Pat Carey doesn’t want anything else than what he has already gotten from Kinsey going into his junior year.

“I just need him to be him, I don’t need him being anything else,” Carey said. “All we need is the Fran Kinsey, that’s it.”

Carey believes Kinsey brings many admirable traits, such as his admiration for baseball.

“He respects the game, he puts everything into it,” Carey said. “Good things are going to happen to kids like that.”

Carey appreciates the energy, enthusiasm and work ethic that Kinsey brings to the team. He believes that having a player like Kinsey makes it easier as a coach because he doesn’t have to worry about trying to motivate or focus the team by himself.

“Definitely having him on the field is a big safety net for a coach,” Carey said. “He is everything you want in a player.”

Carey said one of the traits he recognizes the most from Kinsey is the fact he loves the game and loves to play baseball.

“He gives everything he has,” Carey said. “That’s why he gets the most out of himself.”

The biggest change that Carey has seen in Kinsey is his increased strength, which can be seen in his stats from his freshman to sophomore year.

Kinsey only had two extra-base hits his freshman year, which resulted in a .299 slugging percentage. In his sophomore year he upped his slugging to .401, with six doubles, three triples and one home run.

Carey not only has seen a growth in Kinsey’s physical strength, but in his mental strength as well.

“Everything is strength with him,” Carey said. “I think his confidence grew, which is another strength.”

Kinsey and the Gaels will look to move on from their opening series. Iona’s next game will be against Stony Brook in Norfolk, Virginia. on Feb. 23. Iona won’t play in New Rochelle until Mar. 14 when the Gaels take on St. John’s.

Kinsey could not be reached through the athletic department as of press time.

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