Baseball Opens Season With MLB Urban Youth Invitational

MLB URBAN YOUTH INVITATIONAL
FEB. 19-21 | FRI-6 P.M. SAT. 6 P.M. SUN. 1 P.M.
MAESTRI FIELD AT FIRST NBC BALLPARK AND BARROW FIELD (SAT.)

LIVE STATS | TWITTER | AUDIO | VIDEO (FRI. SUN.) | GAME NOTES | FORECAST

NEW ORLEANS – After months of preparation and an off-season of anticipation, the University of New Orleans baseball season is about to be set into motion on Friday when they start the MLB Urban Youth Invitational. First pitch for the Privateers' opening game is set for 6 p.m. at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark. The Saturday game against Grambling will be broadcast on MLB Network.
 
The Privateers will face Alcorn State, Grambling, and Louisiana Tech in their first weekend of the season. In 2015, UNO went undefeated in the Urban Youth Invitational and defeated two opponents they will be facing this weekend in Alcorn State and Grambling. This is the third year the Privateers are affiliated with the Invitational.
 
Ryan Calloway leads a group of five starters in the field who return from the 2015 squad. Calloway is a Second Team Preseason All-Southland selection and hit .335 in his first year with the Privateers. Calloway is also one of six seniors on the roster.
 
Also returning for his senior season is Chaz Boyer who led the Privateers in RBIs last season. The starting center fielder has logged 131 games with New Orleans over his first three seasons. Boyer has also been a defensive stalwart, committing just one error while registering five outfield assists in 2015.
 
On the mound, Riley Hodge is expected to throw the first pitch of the season for the Privateers. Hodge is a junior college transfer from Florida who recorded four wins and a save in 14 appearances last season at Jefferson Davis CC. Hodge was also a First Team All-Conference selection and struck out 62 batters during his '15 campaign.
 
Friday will also mark the first game of the Blake Dean era. The 27-year old was promoted to head coach in the off-season after spending the last two years as an assistant on the staff and the team's hitting coach. The Privateers' team batting average jumped 23 points from 2014 to 2015. Last season, the team hit .267.
 
Alcorn State comes into 2016 with a new head coach in Bretton Richardson who was an assistant at Florida A&M for the last 18 years. The Braves lost Earl Burl III to the Draft after he was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 30^th round. Moses Charles returns for his senior season after he finished last year with a .379 on-base percentage and 20 steals.
 
Grambling landed one player on the SWAC Preseason All-Conference Team in Larry Barraza who led the Tigers in home runs (seven) and batting average (.312). The Tigers were second in the SWAC in stolen bases last year with 112. Overall, Grambling finished 11-39 on the year and 7-18 in conference.
 
Louisiana Tech is guided by Greg Goff who will start his second year. In his first season, Goff directed the Bulldogs to a 10-win improvement, registering 25 wins. Taylor Love is the team's top returner at the plate after he hit .288 a year ago. Adam Atkins was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List for this year after recording seven saves and three wins last year.
 
Season tickets for the 2016 campaign are available for as low as $125 and single-game tickets start at $5. For additional information, contact the UNO Atheltics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or log on to the internet at http://www.unoprivateers.com.
 
For more information, follow the Privateers on Twitter @UNOPrivateers and @Privateers_BSB or like us on Facebook.