For Siena baseball, help may be on the way

 Siena opened the 2021 MAAC baseball season by splitting a four game, two day series against Iona, as the Gaels----excuse the pun----swept the Saints on Monday by scores of 16-10 and 10-7. Yes, they do look like football and/or softball scores, but college baseball does have a lot of high scoring games as the pros and high schoolers do.

While outfielder Evan St. Claire (Whitehall), the nephew of former major league pitcher Randy St. Claire, is off to a hot start, Monday's nightcap offered a rude reminder of what has plagued Siena in recent times. Their bullpen couldn't hold a 6-0 lead, and the first man out of the pen should actually be a starter himself.

Ben Seiler (Albany Academy), son of Albany Times-Union editor Casey Seiler, entered the game in the 5th inning. Since the first game on Monday and both ends of Sunday's double-dip all were 7 innings, you would be forgiven if you assumed this would also be a 7 inning game. I guess, just like in MLB preseason, the coaches agree on the length of the game at the start. Digression over. Seiler didn't have total command of his pitches in his first appearance of the season, and it showed, as he walked 3, and allowed two inherited runners to score as the Gaels slowly began their comeback. Another Academy grad, Carter Knapek, who is a graduate transfer from Virginia Commonwealth, had earned a save in Sunday's opener, but he, too, fell victim to a bout of wildness, and let the lead slip away in the visiting 7th. The game went 9, and after Siena retook the lead at 7-6, Iona scored three runs late to complete the sweep.

Help, though, may be on the way.

Another VCU transfer with Academy ties, Brett Young, is waiting on a waiver from the NCAA that would allow him to play this season. Young is listed as an infielder on the Siena roster, but was used in the outfield at VCU last season, presumably because the Rams were already set in the infield on their depth chart. If he gets the waiver, he'll be working his way into the lineup soon enough. If not, there's always next year. Then again, there's always the Perfect Game Collegiate League, which returns after Siena's season is over.

Keep in mind that for right now, Connors Park, Siena's on-campus home field, will not admit fans until at least Good Friday (April 2) due to COVID guidelines. The Saints will play double-headers vs. Niagara this weekend.