The Games: Towson (0-0, 0-0 CAA) @ No. 25 Miami (0-0, 0-0 ACC)
When: Friday, Feb. 18 – 7 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 19 – 2 p.m. (DH) | Sunday, Feb. 20 – 1 p.m.
Where: Alex Rodriguez Field at Mark Light Park – Miami, Fla.
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra ($)
Series: Miami leads 4-0
 
MIAMI – The Towson University baseball team is ready to begin the 2022 campaign in a big way, challenging #25 Miami for a four-game series from Feb. 18-20.
 
The Tigers and Hurricanes will play the season opener on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Feb. 19 and a 1 p.m. single game on Feb. 20.
 
The games will be broadcast online via ACC Network Extra, available via subscription.
 
Towson is coming off a season where it made the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2013, going 21-36 overall and 11-12 in its league.  Miami, a 2021 NCAA Tournament participant, finished 33-21 overall and 20-15 in the ACC last year.  Miami is currently ranked #25 by D1Baseball and Baseball America.
 
Towson opens the year at head coach Matt Tyner's alma mater.  All-time, Miami leads the series 4-0, including a season sweep in Feb 28-Mar. 1. 2020 and a win in the 1988 NCAA Atlantic Regional 4-0.
 
TWO TIGERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CAA
A pair of Tigers were honored on preseason all-conference teams by different publications.
 
Nick Janowicz was selected as Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA by the league's head coaches.  Janowicz was second on the team last season in each strikeouts with 53 and innings pitched with 66.2.
 
Danny Becerra was named Preseason CAA All-Conference by Perfect Game USA at shortstop.  He earned 19 multi-hit contests last year, finishing with 12 doubles, 24 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
 
COMING OFF CAA TOURNAMENT YEAR
Towson earned an important feat last season, making the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.  The Tigers finished second in the CAA North at 11-12, including two series victories over Delaware.  Towson picked up the 5-seed in the CAA Tournament.
 
The team also finished with 21 victories, the most in a season since 2014.
 
LAST TIME: TOWSON FALLS TO W&M IN CAAS
After Towson fell in a walk-off to Charleston, the Tigers fell to William & Mary 7-3 in the loser's bracket to end its run in the CAA Tournament.
Key stat:
--First CAA Tournament since 2014
Top Towson batter:
--#23 Billy Godrick: 1-4, three-run HR
Top Towson pitcher:
--#45 Nick Janowicz: L, 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 1 K
 
WELCOME NEW STAFF
Two new coaches join the team for the 2022 season.  Blake Nation is the new pitching coach after three years at Hofstra, coaching Jim Joyce, a 16th round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. 
 
Also joining is volunteer assistant coach Paul Benoit, who coached four all-league players at Ottawa University.
 
In addition, head coach Matt Tyner elevated Tanner Biagini to interim associate head coach in his fifth year with the team.
 
INFIELD INTENSITY
Towson returns nearly all players from 2021 who started in the infield last season.  Danny Becerra and Nolan Young started nearly every game at short and second respectively, hitting .258 and .256, while Bryce Frederick, Jake Lysaght, Jack McLaughlin and Nick Brown manned the corners.
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.  Richie Palacios, a third-round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #9 rated-prospect in the Guardians system, hitting .297 with 33 doubles in the minors.  Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 having spent five years in the minors. Gavin Weyman has pitched in independent league ball the past three years, throwing for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League in 2021.
 
TOWSON PICKED SEVENTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
Towson has been predicted to finish seventh in the CAA preseason coaches poll as the league returns to a round robin format.  Reigning champion Northeastern is predicted to finish first followed by last year's southern division winner UNCW.  The rest of the poll is filled out by Charleston, Elon, James Madison, W&M, Towson, Delaware and Hofstra.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Miami has been predicted to finish third in the ACC Coastal Division in the preseason coaches poll.  Carson Palmquist, slated to be a starter in this season, was an All-American as a freshman reliever last year with a 2.22 ERA, striking out 75 in 44.2 innings.  The top returning batter from last year is sophomore infielder Yohandy Morales, who batted .284 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 2021.