MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The College of Staten Island baseball team opens its 2026 season Friday afternoon in Myrtle Beach, SC at the Cal Ripken Experience with their first game of the weekend against Southern Connecticut State University at 3:30 PM. 

Feb. 21, 2025 Meeting Summary
The Dolphins and the Owls consistently met over the course of the last three seasons in South Carolina. The Dolphins are currently down 3-0 in the all-time series meeting and last year on Feb. 21, the Dolphins dropped 11-4 after surrendering seven runs in the bottom of the eighth. 

To open the 2025 contest, the Dolphins jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning, highlighted by a Jaden Waterman double to left center field. The Owls responded an inning later with a solo home run to cut the deficit to two. CSI extended its advantage in the top of the seventh with a home run of its own, pushing the lead to 4–1. However, the Owls answered in the bottom half of the inning with three runs to tie the game before erupting for seven runs in the eighth, handing the Dolphins an 11–4 defeat.

Dolphins Look to Build in 2026
Both programs enter the new season looking to build on milestone campaigns. The Dolphins clinched their first-ever East Coast Conference (ECC) postseason berth last season after splitting a doubleheader with D'Youville on May 2. CSI finished with an 11–9 conference record, its best Division II ECC record to date, and aims to continue that upward trajectory in 2026.

In the 2026 CSI Baseball Preview, head coach Michael Mauro, stated, "I want my players to get used to being in the playoffs. I don't want last year to seem like a fluke or that we just got lucky. With that mindset, it's going to take a lot of hard word and confidence to stay at the level our conference opponents are at. We have the talent, and we'll go as far as our hard work will take us."

2026 CSI Roster Insight
CSI returns a strong core of contributors, including reigning ECC Rookie of the Year Jack Kehoe. Now a sophomore, Kehoe finished in the top five on the team last season with a .329 batting average and led the team with a .440 on-base percentage while ranking second with 40 runs and 53 hits.

Also returning is standout sophomore Michael Flashner, who finished second on the team with a .355 batting average in 2025. Additional key returners include JJ Hunter, Waterman, and Vincent Weigele. On the mound, the Dolphins will lean on senior leaders Aidan Kielty and Alex Martinez to anchor the pitching staff.

Gametime - 4:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Location - Myrtle Beach, SC | Cal Ripken Experience [Crosley Field]
All-Time Series - SCSU 3-0
Last Meeting -  SCSU 11-4 (Myrtle Beach, SC)