NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 16, 2021 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team was the last team to compete at home for Monroe College in 2020, winning a walkoff thriller against Sullivan County Community College at Dick Caswell Field on March 10. 372 days later, the Mustangs are set for their first official contest of the 2021 season, a newly added nine-inning home game against Citius Prep at Dick Caswell Field.
 
Due to Region 15, Monroe College and New York State COVID-19 restrictions, spectators will not be permitted to attend Monroe College home athletic events for the 2021 spring season. Despite staffing limitations, the Monroe College Department of Athletics hopes to provide live stats and video for as many home contests as possible in 2021. Each of those can be found at the following links:
Live Stats: MonroeCollegeMustangs.com/BASELiveStats
Live Video: YouTube.com/MonroeMustangs
Subscribe to the Monroe Mustangs YouTube Channel and click the bell next to the "Subscribe" button to get alerts whenever we go live or post a new video
 
The Mustangs got through 14 games of their 2020 slate before the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to seasons across the country. Monroe visited five different states across their first 13 games last year before finally getting to play on their home turf. Little did we know that the home opener would be the only home game of the season, and the goal of a third-straight trip to Grand Junction, Colo. For the JUCO World Series would be put on hold.
 
With the 2020 season never coming to the end it deserved, the Mustangs enter 2021 as the two-time defending East District Champions. The road to the JUCO World Series changes a bit in 2021. The Mustangs will now be part of Region 20's tournament to start the postseason, taking on its three teams (Harford Community College, Potomac State College of WVU and Hagerstown Community College) for a combined region title and to advance to the East District Championship, hosted by the Region 10 champion in South Carolina. Hagerstown is set to host this year's Region 20 Championship tournament. The Region 15/20 champion will take on the Region 10 champion in a three-game series to determine the district's representative at the JUCO World Series.
 
The Mustangs are hoping to play roughly 50 games in 50 days during the 2021 regular season (schedule subject to change). Beginning the season with Wednesday's newly scheduled home opener against Citius Prep, Monroe then visits Suffolk County Community College in Selden, N.Y. for a nine-inning contest on Friday, March 19. The Mustangs then head to Dunmore, Pa., to challenge Lackawanna College in a doubleheader at Schautz Stadium on Saturday.
 
Mercer County Community College then visits New Rochelle on Tuesday, March 23, for the Mustangs' home opener at Dick Caswell Field, a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Monroe plays two more at home on Wednesday, March 24, against Harford from Region 20. The short homestand wraps up with a nine-inning contest against Citius Prep on Friday, March 26.
 
Six straight road contests begin with a twinbill at UConn Avery Point on Saturday, March 27, with another two games on Sunday, March 28, at Rowan College South Jersey – Gloucester. The Mustangs then visit Harford on Tuesday, March 30, for two more games.
 
Two games at home on Thursday, April 1, against UConn Avery Point break up a long set of away games for Monroe, as the Mustangs will follow that up with another nine straight road matchups. Suffolk County is the destination on Friday, April 2, before a doubleheader at Bergen Community College on Saturday, April 3. Monroe once again visits Lackawanna on April 6 for two more games, then heads back out to Suffolk County for a nine-inning game on April 7. Monroe gets a day off before heading to Garden City, N.Y., for a game at Nassau Community College on April 9. They then head in the opposite direction in New York for a doubleheader at Orange County Community College on Saturday, April 10, in Middletown.
 
The Mustangs follow that up with a long six-game weekend at home, beginning with a game against Suffolk County on Thursday, April 15. Monroe then hosts ASA Brooklyn for a five-game series, starting with a single nine-inning game on Friday, April 16. The Mustangs and Avengers will then play a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, April 18, with both beginning at 12 p.m.
 
Monroe takes a trip upstate during the following week, beginning with a stop in Batavia, N.Y. for a pair of contests against Genesee Community College on Tuesday, April 20. The Mustangs will then head over to Sanborn, N.Y. to take on Niagara County Community College on Wednesday, April 21, in a single nine-inning game. Friday, April 23, will see the Mustangs host Nassau in the second-to-last home game on the docket.
 
Another long stretch of games on the road begins on Saturday, April 24, with another trip to Lackawanna for another two games with the Falcons. Bryant & Stratton College (Va.) is the next stop for Monroe, with one game in Virginia Beach, Va., on Monday, April 26, and a doubleheader with the Bobcats on Tuesday, April 27. The trip continues in McHenry, Md., with two contests at Garrett College.
 
The Mustangs will visit Region 20's Potomac State on Thursday, April 29, for one game in Keyser, W.V., before heading back into Maryland to take on Allegany College of Maryland twice on Friday, April 30, in Cumberland, Md. Monroe will face off with Harford twice more on Sunday, May 2, before returning home to conclude the regular season on Sunday, May 2, with a nine-inning matchup against Rowan Gloucester.
 
The Mustangs' roster has a unique makeup this season, as a large number of student-athletes return this season having retained a year of eligibility because of COVID-19. Four members of the team are in their third season with the Mustangs in some capacity, while 12 of last year's newcomers get a fresh start this season with Monroe. The roster is then bolstered by 18 newcomers, including a pair of sophomore transfers.
 
The road to Grand Junction begins at home on Wednesday, March 17, when the Mustangs host Citius Prep in the season opener at Dick Caswell Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 36 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports program, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 17 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).

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