Riverdale, N.Y. – First year Head Baseball Coach Paul LaMarr will begin his tenure as the third head coach in program history on Friday afternoon when he leads the College of Mount Saint Vincent on the road at #3 Kean. First pitch with the Cougars is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
 
LaMarr takes over a team that finished the 2011 campaign with a 17-23 overall record and a solid 10-6 mark in Skyline Conference play. The Dolphins advanced to the Skyline Conference Tournament for the fourth straight season in 2011 and came within a game of the championship round after knocking off top seed St. Joseph's-L.I. 9-8 in 12 innings.
 
Mount Saint Vincent graduated a class in 2011 with the highest number of wins in program history that included James Labartino who is the career leader in at-bats, hits, total bases, stolen bases, runs, doubles and triples.
 
The Dolphins will also look to replace John McManus who sits atop the career record books in hit by pitch and home runs. McManus was named Second Team All-Skyline Conference and Second Team All-New York Region following the 2010 season.
 
The Mount will also look to fill voids left by Michael Pope was earned All-Skyline Conference recognition in three of his four years, including Rookie of the Year honors in 2008 as well as Mike Trainor who is the program's all-time leader in wins.
 
Although losing a strong core, LaMarr will also return a talented group headlined by captains Vinny Todino (Eastchester, N.Y.), Christian Lavery (Westbury, N.Y.), Anthony Mongelli (Flushing, N.Y.) and Gerald Amerosi (Staten Island, N.Y.).
 
Todino, a graduate student, played in and started 38 games last season and scored 22 runs and went 9-for-10 in stolen base chances. Todino also had a solid year defensively after posting a .914 fielding percentage. Todino also holds the single game record for hits with six, set last season against NYU-POLY.
 
Lavery is coming off a 2011 season that saw him appear in only 18 games due to injury. He posted a .408 on-base percentage after totaling 12 hits, drawing 11 walks and getting hit eight times. Heading into the 2012 season he stands fifth all-time in hit by pitches and stolen bases and sixth all-time in walks.
 
Amerosi saw time in 11 games and made four starts and finished with a double, triple and three RBI in 19 total at-bats a season ago. Mongelli finished off last season with a 2-5 record in 11 appearances and led the team with 51 strikeouts. With a full season to go, Mongelli has already set the program's all-time record in whiffs and starts the season with 146.    
 
Mount Saint Vincent will also return sophomore Josh Sharpe (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) who ranked in the top-5 on the team in 10 categories in 2011. He led the team in walks as a rookie with 26 and finished second on the squad in four other categories.
 
Sharpe earned a Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week Award during the 2011 season and also matched the program record with a 12 game hitting streak.
 
LaMArr's pitching staff also returns a solid unit behind Mongelli. Junior Mike McManus (Queens, N.Y.) finished the 2011 season with a 3-3 record and was third on the team with eight starts. He worked 48.0 innings and collected 34 strikeouts for the Dolphins.
 
On March 26, 2011 McManus worked the program's first ever no-hitter when he shut down league rival Mount Saint Mary. Following the achievement he earned Skyline Conference, ECAC Metro Division and NCBWA Division III National Pitcher of the Week honors.
 
The pitching staff will also look for contributions from Matt Calandrillo (Cold Spring, N.Y.) and James Puma (Westlake, N.Y.). Sophomore Brian Rush (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) also returns after posting a save and 12 strikeouts in 18.0 innings of relief work.
 
Mount Saint Vincent's lineup will also return Benjamin Toro, Jr. (Yonkers, N.Y.) who appeared in 25 games last season as well as Mike Esposito (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Anthony Masullo (Howard Beach, N.Y.), Kevin Coogan (Bronx, N.Y.), Rob DeLuca (Yonkers, N.Y.), Mark Sargente (Commack, N.Y.), Leutrim 'Tim' Hoxha (Forest Hills, N.Y.), Tyler Rieth (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.), Chris Sideli (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and T.J. Laible (Rockaway, N.Y.) will also look to make contributions in 2012.
 
Following Friday's game at Kean, the Dolphins will open a three date home stand that features the home opener against CCNY on February 28 and doubleheaders against St. Joseph's-Brooklyn and Staten Island the weekend of March 3-4.