UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program placed third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) preseason coaches' poll with 27 points and one first place vote.
The Cardinals are coming off a historic season finishing 41-18 and 23-7 in the GLIAC. SVSU claimed the GLIAC regular season crown and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional. They hosted Ashland and Northwood and advanced to host Indianapolis in the Midwest Super Regional, the first time in program history that the Cardinals hosted a postseason tournament. Saginaw Valley fell to UIndy but set 10 program records in 2024.
SVSU returns six seniors with Brendan Conkle, Ryan Adams, JJ Arbini, Ethan Rose, Drew Cooper, and Carter Woody. Four juniors return as well including Jack Decker, Connor Cornwell, Brady Carpenter, and Grant Richardson. 13 sophomores and two redshirt-freshman return including Chase Raymond and Austin Cicerone who join Decker as the three who made All-GLIAC teams' last season. Three transfers made up of juniors Henry Stempky and Aaron Bess along with sophomore Mitchell Walters join the 10 incoming freshman to make up the rest of the 38-player roster.
Head coach Adam Piotrowicz enters his third season behind the helm. He is joined by pitching coach Justin McMurtrey, baserunning and outfield coach Brandon Evans, and hitting coach Christian Penn.
Baseball starts the 2025 season in Indiana playing a pair of games against Findlay and Tiffin starting Friday, February 14. Another four-game road trip follows as they head to Missouri to play two games against Drury, and a game against Maryville and Colorado St.-Pueblo, all hosted at Drury. Back-to-back doubleheaders at Cedarville follow before the team heads to North Carolina to play a single game against Barton and three against Walsh over spring break.
The Cardinals host GLIAC newcomer Roosevelt for their GLIAC and home opener on Friday, March 21. SVSU hosts Northwood at Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan for the Dow Diamond Classic on Tuesday, April 22. The regular season wraps up the first weekend of May before the team heads to Lansing, Michigan for the GLIAC Tournament held at Jackson Field.