With Mother Nature having spared New England her usual winter wrath, signs of spring are abounding across Buzzards Bay.  And those signs usually point to one thing at this time of the year—the start of another Buccaneer baseball campaign is just around the corner.

This season will undoubtedly be a special one on the Commodore Hendy diamond, as Massachusetts Maritime embarks on a celebration of four decades of tradition, memories and success of its iconic mentor, Bob Corradi, who will don the navy blue and gold for his 40th season in 2012.

Corradi, who enters the year with a total of 524 victories on what is already a Hall-of-Fame resume, will welcome one of his youngest squads ever into the fold this spring, as the Buccaneer roster is dotted with only seven upperclassmen.  Massachusetts Maritime returns 12 letterwinners from a squad that posted 11 victories during the 2011 season, including triumphs over eventual MASCAC tournament champion Bridgewater State as well as league rivals Worcester State and Salem State, and Corradi will look to blend in 19 underclassmen (including 10 freshmen) into the mix this spring.

Leadership has been a hallmark of Corradi’s program during his 40-year tenure, and leadership for this year’s young squad will come from senior co-captains Jared Lowe (Brimfield, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) and William Shouldice (Rutland, Vt./Mount Saint Joseph).  Corradi calls his captains “two individuals who are committed to the overall excellence of this program and this Academy.  They take great pride in doing all of the little things it takes for their teammates to be successful, and they are proven leaders both on and off the field.”

Here’s how things are shaping up for the Bucs during Coach C’s 40^th Anniversary season:

INFIELD.  Corradi welcomes back two power threats on the infield this spring in Shouldice and junior Zachary Sullivan (Barnstable, Mass./Barnstable), as Shouldice batted .273 with a team-best four homers and 12 RBI while Sullivan earned all-MASCAC accolades in leading Massachusetts Maritime with a .329 average that including a homer, four doubles and a team-leading 17 RBI.  Five newcomers will be vying to fill the remaining infield spots, as freshmen Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass./North Reading), Edward Nicholas (Wayland, Mass./Wayland), Peter Sheppard (Chatham, Mass./Chatham), Jordan Krajewski (Holyoke, Mass./Holyoke), Stephen Scire (Medford, Mass./Medford) and Gabrielle Malaki (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Singapore American) will look to contribute during their rookie seasons.

OUTFIELD.  Junior Aram Mulhern (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) is the lone returning starter in the outfield for Corradi’s crew, as he batted .289 with a homer, three doubles and seven RBI in 2011.  Sophomores Jonathan Moffitt (Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary) and Brendan O’Kane (Pocasset, Mass./Bourne) gained valuable experience during their freshmen campaigns last spring and will be vying for the other two outfield spots along with fellow sophomores Devin Rudolph (Carver, Mass./Carver) and Bob Lee (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) .

PITCHER.  Junior Tyler Genereux (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) is the top returning starter for the Buccaneers in 2012, as he posted a 3-2 mark with a 2.95 ERA  that included a complete-game shutout as well as 32 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings.  Genereux also returns to his starting third base spot in the Massachusetts Maritime lineup when not on the mound, as he rapped out four doubles and drove in eight runs as a sophomore.  Lowe led the MASCAC in ERA (1.30) a year ago as one of the top relievers in the region out of Corradi’s bullpen, as he held opponents to a .155 batting average while recording a win and a save to go with 19 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings of work.  Sophomore Chris Gallagher (East Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) impressed in his rookie season with a 1.50 ERA in four appearances for the Bucs, while junior Patrick Derrane (Utica, N.Y./New Hartford) lends additional experience in the pen after appearing in six contests last spring.  Sophomore Chris Mullin (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) and freshmen Tyler Smith (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham), Zacary Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman), Thomas Notarangelo (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) and Ryan Griffin (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) will all look to bolster the Buccaneer pitching corps during the upcoming 40^th anniversary celebration.

CATCHER.  Corradi has a wealth of experience returning behind the plate in 2012, as the sophomore tandem of Ben Maher (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) and Matt Pelletier (Bradford, Mass./Central Catholic) combined for 16 starters at the dish as rookies.  Junior Hunter Horton (Wareham, Mass./Wareham) also provides a veteran presence for Massachusetts Maritime after appearing in nine contests in 2011, while sophomore Luke Kondrotas (Barre, Mass./Gardner) also gained valuable experience as a newcomer last spring.

SCHEDULE.  The Buccaneers make their annual visit to The Sunshine State to open their 40^th Anniversary season, as Massachusetts Maritime will take on John Jay in the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. on Sunday, February 26^th.  Corradi’s crew opens its Northern slate on St. Patrick’s Day with a home twinbill against Lyndon State, as the Bucs will also host Rivier, Becker, Lasell, Tufts, Emerson, Wentworth, Newbury and Babson in a total of 12 non-conference match-ups at Commodore Hendy Field.  Massachusetts Maritime will also welcome MASCAC foes Framingham State, Fitchburg State and Worcester State to Buzzards Bay during the course of the spring.

Special seasons are something that Buccaneer baseball fans have become accustomed to during Bob Corradi’s long and glorious tenure as head coach, but the 2012 campaign is shaping up to be special for many reasons, as a talented group of veterans and youngsters will look to add a new chapter to the rich history that Massachusetts Maritime has written over the last four decades.

Let the celebration of pride and tradition begin.