Brandywine Baseball And Softball Teams Begin Play In Florida This Weekend

MEDIA, Pennsylvania -- The Penn State Brandywine baseball and softball teams will be leaving the snow behind as they begin the spring sports season in Vero Beach, Fla., this weekend at Historic Dodgertown, the former Spring Training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The baseball team is scheduled to play eight games during a six-day stretch, beginning Saturday night against three-time USCAA national champion Briarcliffe (N.Y.).

The Lions will also face NCAA Division III members Bridgewater State and Norwich, as well as Montreat, which competes in the NAIA, before closing out the week against Miami-Hamilton, a team that advanced to the 2014 USCAA Small College World Series.

Brandywine is coming off a 22-win season and PSUAC Tournament championship game appearance last spring under the guidance of third-year Head Coach Bill Haines.

The Lions' softball squad opens its 2015 campaign Sunday afternoon against Norwich, its first of two games against the Cadets during the week.

The team's Florida schedule will be highlighted by a game against NCAA Division II Claflin University on Tuesday morning. Brandywine also faces Carlow University and junior college powers Indian River State College and South Carolina-Sumter.

Brandywine, which won 14 games and earned a bid to the PSUAC Tournament during its first season of varsity competition in 2014 under the direction of Head Coach Mark Caserta, returns four letter winners and welcomes nine new members to this year's team.