Preseason Prospectus

Staten Island, NY – Wagner begins year two of the Jim Carone era on Grymes Hill with post-season aspirations after falling painfully short a year ago. The Seahawks return 22 letterwinners from last year's squad that won 22 games, including 15 during Northeast Conference (NEC) play.

This is the second in a three-part series that will analyze the team's pitching, infield and outfield units. Click HERE for yesterday's look at the pitchers.

The Infield
At the catching position, Wagner boast four players that will see time behind the plate. Leading the returners is sophomore Jason Gordon, who hit .300 over 26 games. The Maryland native also made 20 starts and picked it up at the end of the year, batting .435 over his final eight games of the year.

Also returning behind the plate is classmate Zack Yesko, who saw action in three games while playing behind Gordon and departed senior Hayden Hunter.

After starting all 55 games at second base a year ago, sophomore Nick Dini will enter the catching forray in 2013. The athletic Dini caught in high school and is expected to see time behind the plate and in the infield. With a quick and powerful bat, he batted .293 with 14 extra-base hits and became one of the toughest outs on the team, hitting safely in 16-straight and 27-of-29 at one point.

Rounding out the catchers on the roster is freshman John Lynn, who prepped at the Salesianum School (DE).

Elsewhere in the infield, the Seahawks will have to replace a trio of departed starters in Eddie Brown, Tommy Higgins and Bill Murphy.

Battling for time at first base are sophomores Mitchell Dressing and Tommy Mazurkiewicz. Dressing played in 20 games a year ago, making 17 starts, while Mazurkiewicz saw action in seven games.

At second base, Seton Hall graduate Chase Gray arrives on Grymes Hill for his final year of eligibility. Gray hit .279 a year ago after helping the Pirates to the Big East Championship as a junior in 2011.

Expected to replace Brown, who is now the team's director of operations, at shortstop is junior college transfer Shaun Flynn, who led all NJCAA Division II hitters with a blistering .504 batting average for Burlington County College a year ago.

At the hot corner, Dini is expected to fill the void left by Higgins when not catching.

Rounding out the returners in the infield is sophomore Dan Wasilick, who played in seven games last year, with three starts. Wasilick will be vying for time at both of the middle infield positions.

Also looking to crack the line-up are freshmen Mike Adams, Vaughn Champion and Ben Ruta.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagBaseball for news and updates on the baseball program.

Photography by Dave Saffran