There are certain numbers that hold a hallowed place in the annals of baseball.  755, 406 and 61 are a few of them.  But this season, one of baseball’s most respected and beloved numbers, 42—the retired number of Brooklyn Dodgers great Jackie Robinson, is also prevalent for the Massachusetts Maritime baseball program, as Bob Corradi, the only head coach the Buccaneers have ever known, celebrates his 42^nd campaign on the Taylor’s Point diamond this spring.

Crunching the numbers into continued success is certainly something that the veteran mentor looks to do once again in 2014, as Massachusetts Maritime returns 20 letterwinners from a squad that earned its first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament berth last spring and looks to continue to climb the ladder of success with that experienced group in place.  Corradi, who enters the new season just three wins shy of the 550 career victory plateau, welcomes some very talented newcomers to the fold as well and will look to combine that youth into one of his deepest squads in recent years.

Leadership has always been a staple of Buccaneer Baseball since Corradi took the program’s reins in 1973, and he will look for that tradition to continue this spring from seniors Brendan O’Kane (Pocasset, Mass./Bourne) and Keith Sanchez (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township), who have been named as Buccaneer co-captains for the new season.

“Brendan and Keith have instilled the type of work ethic in their teammates that is expected in our program, and I know they will provide leadership by example both on and off the field,” Corradi says of his captains.  “They are great communicators that will keep us focused on reaching our goals this season.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 42^nd edition of Bob Corradi’s Buccaneers:

INFIELD.  Junior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) returns to shortstop after earning first team all-MASCAC and second team all-New England accolades in 2013, as he batted .392 with 40 hits in 30 games while adding nine extra base hits (including four triples), 20 RBI and 12 stolen bases while posting a .484 on-base percentage and a .520 slugging percentage.  Senior Ben Maher (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) and junior Greg Downs (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) will be vying for the starting spot at first base in the early going, as Maher batted .291 with eight doubles and 12 RBI and Downs chipped in with a pair of extra base hits (including a homer) in 10 contests.  Sophomore Matt King (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) looks to take over the starting role at third base after batting .265 with four extra base hits in 16 games as a freshman, while junior William Cooksey (Richmond, Tex./Strake Jesuit) rounds out the starting infield at second base after appearing in 11 outings a year ago.  Freshmen Terrence Mudie (Barnstable, Mass./Barnstable), Tommy Walls (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) and Eddie Stewart (Dresden, Maine/Richmond) will all be looking for roles in the Buccaneer infield as the season progresses.

OUTFIELD.  Senior Bob Lee (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) anchors an experienced group in the outfield for Massachusetts Maritime, as he batted .333 with nine extra base hits (including eight doubles) and a .500 slugging percentage.  O’Kane batted .294 in 25 games while handling all 28 chances in the field flawlessly last spring, while sophomore Everett Walsh (Marstons Mills, Mass./Barnstable) collected 13 hits in 24 outings (18 starts) as a rookie.  Senior Devin Rudolph (Carver, Mass./Carver) provides speed and durability for Corradi’s crew after appearing in 19 games in 2013, while sophomore Michael Lenane (Dorchester, Mass./Boston Latin School) lends additional depth after batting .273 in 16 contests during his inaugural collegiate season.  Freshmen Aidan Desrosiers (North Attleboro, Mass./Xaverian) and Nick Massa (Tamworth, N.H./Kennett) will be vying for spots in Corradi’s outfield rotation as well this spring.

PITCHER.  One of the most experienced rotations in recent years awaits Corradi and pitching coach Matt Melia in 2014, as Sanchez and juniors T.J. Notarangelo (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro), Zac Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and Tyler Smith (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham) are back for the Buccaneers.  Sanchez posted a 3.63 ERA in 15 appearances (seven starts) while notching a pair of wins and averaging a strikeout per inning, while Notarangelo was 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA (including a no-hitter at Fitchburg State) while limiting opponents to a .185 batting average in 42 1/3 innings of work.  Smith also posted a 3-1 mark with a 4.24 ERA in seven starts, as he limited opponents to a .224 batting average along the way, while Cooney provided durability as both a starter and reliever for the Buccaneers in making 11 total appearances.  Sophomore Kevin Kwedor (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), a transfer from Southern New Hampshire, and freshman Alex Rozak (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), who transferred in from UMass, will also be solid candidates for starting positions in the Massachusetts Maritime rotation.

Seniors Chris Gallagher (East Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) and Chris Mullin (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) will continue to provide valuable roles in both the long reliever and set-up spots this spring after making a combined nine appearances last season, while sophomore Kyle Kennedy (Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug) returns as the Buccaneers’ closer after posting a pair of wins to go with three saves and a 1.52 ERA in 18 appearances in a rookie campaign that saw him hold opponents to a .235 batting average and fan 26 over 29 2/3 innings.  Sophomore Alex Wilson (Melrose, Mass./Melrose), who was unable to pitch last spring due to injury, and freshman Daniel Avery (Milford, Mass./Blackstone Valley), will also be looking for spots on the mound for Corradi this season.

CATCHER.  Senior Matt Pelletier (Bradford, Mass./Central Catholic) returns to backstop the Buccaneers, as he has emerged as one of the top defensive catchers in the region in throwing out 17 would-be base-stealers last year.  Sophomore Drew Girouard (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne) and freshman Jonah Olsen (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) will also be vying for time behind the plate, while both Maher and King can also spell Pelletier in the role during the season.

SCHEDULE.  Massachusetts Maritime will tackle a 32-game regular season slate in Corradi’s 42^nd season, as the Buccaneers will play 18 contests in the friendly confines of Commodore Hendy Field, including MASCAC twinbills with Westfield State, Worcester State and MCLA.  Massachusetts Maritime will tangle with the likes of regional power Tufts, Clark, Wentworth and rival Coast Guard in non-league action.

The Buccaneers begin their 42^nd voyage under Bob Corradi’s guidance on Saturday, March 1^st when Massachusetts Maritime squares off with Elizabethtown in a non-league clash that will be played in Fort Myers, Fla. beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST.