New Rochelle, N.Y.  – Monroe College new baseball coach, Scott Kingston, is expecting 'little things' for the Mustangs in 2016.  But don't be fooled, the little things come with lofty expectations.
 
"It's the little things in baseball that make the difference" Kingston lamented.  "That's what we teach and that's what is going to make us a good ball club," he continued, "The talent is there.  The guys can play.  We just need to do the small things that make a difference – getting down bunts, hitting the cutoff man, important fundamental things to help us win."
 
The Mustangs have been working hard since practice began nearly six weeks ago.  The 2015 version of the Monroe baseball team posted a 35-17 mark and this year's team can be even better.  "Our goal is to win districts" said Kingston.  "With our talent, there's no reason we can't.  We just have to learn to play intelligently in addition to playing hard."
 
Perhaps the key to the Mustangs' success comes in the top of the lineup with Isaiah Torres and Alex De la Cruz.  Those two table-setters will set the tone for the offense.  Coach Kingston reflected on what they bring to the lineup: "They set the tone.  They take walks and see a lot of pitches."  He went on, "They are good baserunners as well.  We need them to get on base."  Other keys on offense include John Russo.
 
One of the biggest goals for the pitching staff early on is is having the starters go deep into games while the bullpen continues to get healthy.  There is depth among the starters including Osvaldo Duran, Edward Nunez, Tony Hernandez, Xavier Bilodeaux and Andres Fernandez.  The key to the bullpen will be getting Richard Moesker healthy.  Perhaps the biggest surprises in the staff include Olivier Mailloux.  The Quebec City native pitched in back-to-back games in South Carolina, earning a pair of wins and giving the bullpen some much-needed relief.
 
The season got underway with a seven-game road trip to South Carolina that saw Monroe post a 6-1 record.  They lost the season opener to USC Lancaster, 8-1, but took the next to 6-3 and 9-3.  From there, the Mustangs blanked Brunswick 7-0 and then squeezed out a win over USC Sumter, 5-3.  Monroe won both games on Sunday, blanking Mercyhurst North East, 16-0 and edged out Florence Darlington, 11-9.
 
Endy Villalona was the offensive leader for the Mustangs in South Carolina.  He batted .400 in the seven games, connected on a homer and drove in 13 runs.  Torres batted .444 and scored a dozen runs.  C.J. Moore and Alex de La Cruz also hit over .300 in South Carolina. 
 
Tony Hernandez and Andres Fernandez each tossed complete games to earn their first wins of the year.  Vincent Ruel, Oliver Mailloux, Osvaldo Duran and Anthony Hernandez also got victories for Monroe.
 
The Monroe College baseball team returns to action on Thursday, March 10 when they face Cumberland County College in New Jersey.  The home opener is slated for Saturday, March 12, at noon, when they host SUNY Orange in a doubleheader.