Baseball opens season this weekend at Elon Invitational

Staff Reports

The VCU baseball team will open the 2013 season at the Country Inn and Suites Elon Invitational in Burlington, N.C. this weekend with games against Boston College, Marist and Elon.

The Rams will open the weekend against the Eagles Friday at 11 a.m. before facing Marist Saturday at 4 p.m. then Elon at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

It will be the team’s first full season without 18-year head coach Paul Keyes, who died last season after a battle with cancer. Shawn Stiffler, who was a top assistant under Keyes for the last six years, is entering his first year as head coach after holding the position on an interim basis at the end of last season.

Stiffler and the Rams are bringing back seven of their nine starting position players from 2012, including senior designated hitter Brent Mikionis. The pitching staff lost about 60 percent of its innings from last season, but returns two key starters from last year in senior Ryan Farrar and sophomore Heath Dwyer.

Stiffler told VCU Athletics he expects Farrar to start VCU’s opener against Boston College on Friday morning. Farrar, a Mechanicsville, Va. native, posted a 3.67 ERA and a 4-3 record in 14 starts in 2012.