As the calendar slowly heads towards spring, thoughts too slowly turn to the days ahead that will bring the sights and sounds of a favorite annual rite at Massachusetts Maritime:  the start of another Buccaneer baseball season.  Veteran Head Coach Bob Corradi welcomes back 16 letterwinners as part of an experienced squad that is set to make a run at the top of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference in his 41st campaign at the helm after posting 12 triumphs a year ago.

Integrity, dedication and leadership are staples on which Corradi has built his beloved Buccaneers since arriving on campus in 1973, and those qualities continue to play a major role in his program today.  Leadership will be provided for this year’s squad by seniors Aram Mulhern (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) and Zachary Sullivan (Barnstable, Mass./Barnstable), who will serve as Massachusetts Maritime’s co-captains this spring, and Corradi describes the duo as “focused on providing the best possible example in every phase of our program and in the Regiment.  They represent the Academy with great distinction and will make their teammates better both on and off the field.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 41st edition of Buccaneer Baseball:

INFIELD.  Sullivan, who has served as a both as first baseman and designated hitter during his all-conference career, is joined around the infield by a trio of returnees in senior Tyler Genereux (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) as well as sophomores Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) and Zacary Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman), as they will man their respective posts at third, shortstop and second.  Sullivan, who earned all-MASCAC honors as a sophomore, batted .258 with a homer and 11 RBI in 28 contests (21 starts), as he collected 16 hits on the year, while Rosano started all 29 games for Massachusetts Maritime as a rookie and batted .340 with six extra base hits, including four doubles, and nine stolen bases.  Genereux and Cooney are versatile performers for Corradi, as they combined for 20 appearances on the mound in 2012 with four victories, 56 innings and 45 strikeouts, as Cooney served as the Bucs’ closer during his inaugural collegiate campaign, recording a team-best five saves in 14 overall relief appearances.

Sophomore Peter Sheppard (Chatham, Mass./Chatham) lends additional experience in the infield for Corradi’s crew, as he appeared in 13 contests and batted .308 with a pair of doubles and six RBI, while freshmen Jake Petruzzelli (Abington, Mass./South Shore Voke) and Steve Walls (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) will be vying for spots in the lineup as rookies this spring along with junior William Cooksey (Richmond, Tex./Strake Jesuit), who returns to the program after a two-year absence.

OUTFIELD.  Mulhern was solid once again last spring as Massachusetts Maritime’s starting right fielder, as he batted .328 with six extra base hits, including two triples, to go with 14 RBI, and on the mound he posted a pair of triumphs with a team best 4.33 ERA and 12 strikeouts.  Junior Bob Lee (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) returns as the Buccaneers’ leading hitter from a year ago, as he batted .351 in making 26 starts with 27 hits (including 10 for extra bases), a team-best 19 RBI and nine stolen bases in centerfield, while fellow junior Brendan O’Kane (Pocasset, Mass./Bourne) returns to the left field spot for Corradi after hitting .276 with 16 hits and a team-leading 11 stolen bases.

Junior Devin Rudolph (Carver, Mass./Carver) also provides experience in the Bucs’ outfield after posting a .292 batting average with five RBI in 20 appearances, while freshmen Julian Picard (Upton, Mass./Blackstone Valley), Michael Lenane (Dorchester, Mass./Boston Latin School) and Gregory Downs (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) will look for outfield roles during their inaugural campaigns.

PITCHER.  Mulhern and Genereux will be joined in the rotation by sophomores Tyler Smith (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham), who notched a complete-game victory in seven starts in collecting 25 strikeouts in 36 innings of work as a rookie, and T.J. Notarangelo (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro), who made five starts and eight overall appearances in 2012 for Massachusetts Maritime.

Junior Chris Gallagher (East Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) paced the Buccaneers in the win column with four triumphs in 15 total appearances last spring, as he struck out 15 in 29 innings of work.  Senior Patrick Derrane (Utica, N.Y./New Hartford) returns as a versatile performance in both starting and relief roles for Corradi’s crew, while Lee and fellow junior Chris Mullin (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) also lend experience to the mound corps, which also includes the return of junior Keith Sanchez (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) and the addition of freshmen Everett Walsh (Marstons Mills, Mass./Barnstable), Joshua Bergeron (Providence, R.I./Classical), Kyle Kennedy (Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug) and Alex Wilson (Melrose, Mass./Melrose).

CATCHER.  Junior Matt Pelletier (Bradford, Mass./Central Catholic) returns to his starting backstop position for Corradi after appearing in 29 contests (with 26 starts) and collecting 14 hits in 2012.  Versatile fellow junior Ben Maher (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), who also time at third base last spring, will also be in the catching mix after recording 21 hits and 13 RBI, while senior Hunter Horton (Wareham, Mass./Wareham) also lends versatility and experience behind the plate after notching nine hits in 21 games a year ago.  Freshman Drew Girouard (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne), who emerged as a top receiver for the Buccaneer football team last fall, will look to make that same impact on the diamond in the spring along with fellow freshman Matt King (Scituate, Mass./Scituate).

SCHEDULE.  A 33-game regular season slate awaits Massachusetts Maritime during its 41st campaign, including home MASCAC twinbills with Salem State, Westfield State, Bridgewater State and MCLA as well as non-league home dates with Lyndon State, Rivier, Johnson & Wales, Emerson, Salve Regina, Wentworth, Coast Guard, Newbury and Babson.  The Buccaneers will also venture into the Division II ranks on March 23rd with a contest at Bridgeport.