TEANECK, N.J. -- Fourth-year baseball head coach Gary Puccio is hoping the Knights can bounce back from a poor 2013 campaign to find the magic it discovered in 2012, resulting in a trip to the Northeast Conference Tournament. Last season, FDU finished a disappointing 12-36 and 7-25 in league play for an eighth-place finish. This year, the Knights are projected to finish one slot higher in the conference standings.

FDU returns 18 letterwinners from a year ago, and the 22-man roster will not contain any seniors. The Knights return seven starters in the field and four starting pitchers, who combined for 36 starts on the mound, while the key members of the bullpen return as well. However, FDU loses the services of Second Team All-NEC second baseman Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood), designated hitter/left-handed pitcher Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands), left-handed pitcher Matt Cadigan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) and right-handed pitcher Craig Warner (Coral Springs, Fla./Stoneman Douglas).

The biggest difference will be having the services of redshirt sophomore Patrick McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius ), junior Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) and sophomore Ryan Brennan (Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville) back in the lineup. As a freshman in 2012, McClure started 36 games behind the plate, threw out nearly 30 percent of baserunners stealing and was a clutch at the plate for FDU. Siebler, arguably the best right fielder in the NEC and a co-captain this year, started the first 16 games in 2012, before seeing his season come to an abrupt end. Brennan started four of the Knights' first seven contests in 2013 but had to shut down his season prematurely, too.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of FDU heading into the 2013 season, which begins with three games in Davidson, N.C. against Davidson (Feb. 21) and Lehigh (Feb. 22-23).

OUTFIELD
Anchoring the outfield will be junior center fielder Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North), who has started 98 of 99 games in his career. The southpaw is considered the best at his position in the NEC and is the Knights' leading returning hitter (.293, 54 hits, 14 doubles, five triples, 19 RBI, 29 runs, six stolen bases). Defensively, he made only three errors in 133 chances and recorded six assists.

Siebler will return to his right field position, which he has been penciled into the starting lineup 69 out of 70 times in his career. The righty has the best outfield arm in the conference and still managed to throw out three runners in limited action. Siebler has yet to make an error in his FDU career.

Left field is open with the departure of two-year starter Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside). But the Knights do return sophomore Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh), who filled in for Siebler when he went down. McGrath saw action in 39 contests, with 36 starts, drove in 14 RBI and recorded four sacrifice flies at the plate while tallying four assists on defense.

Brennan will also look to compete for time in left field as well, while freshman Zach Tondi (Wood-Ridge, N.J./Bergen County Technical) will also be in the mix.

INFIELD
Junior Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) started 41 of 44 games last year at first base. Over two years, the slick-fielding southpaw has committed only four errors in well over 600 chances. He struggled with the stick last season but did slug his first collegiate home run while plating 22 runs. McClure and McGrath could also see some time at first base.

The Knights Weeks to graduation at second base, but sophomore Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) will make the move to the right side of the diamond from shortstop. A lefty at the plate, Sprague was named to the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Division I All-Rookie Team in 2013. He hit .279 with 43 hits, including one home run and eight doubles. Sprague, who started 46 of 47 contests, hit well over .300 in NEC play to lead FDU and also led the squad in hits and extra-base hits in conference games.

Sophomore Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) returns to the hot corner after starting 42 of 47 contests at third base. He smacked one home run and 10 doubles while picking up 18 RBI. Brennan will also be in the mix to see some time at third base as well.

Freshman Matt McCann (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro ) will be penciled in as the everyday shortstop for the Knights and will bring much-needed speed to the lineup. As a senior last season at West Windsor-Plainsboro, McCann led the state of New Jersey with 36 stolen bases.

Junior Jose DeLeon (Paterson, N.J./Eastside) returns as a pivotal role player for FDU. He saw action in 18 games, primarily at second base, and scored five runs.

CATCHER
McClure's return from injury points to him returning to his starting catching duties from two years ago. Sophomore John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) and junior Jack Loftus (Dumore, Pa./Dunmore) filled in for McClure last season. Giakas played in 38 games, with 35 starts a year ago, where he hit .271 with 12 RBI. Loftus also started 10 games at catcher last season and hit .286 in 35 at bats. Tondi will also be looking to break into the rotation behind the plate, and Brennan has experience there as well.

PITCHER
The starting pitching rotation will be very experienced this season. Juniors Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) and Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan ) are both two-year starters for the Knights, while freshmen Logan Frati (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) and Nick Cuono (Hawthorne, N.J./Montvale Saint Joseph ) combined to make 15 starts on the bump a year ago.

Butler is projected as an early to middle rounds draft pick in the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft in June. The 6-3 righty features a fastball in the low to mid 90s and posted four wins in 11 starts last season, including two complete games. He logged 53.0 innings and struck out a team-best 41 batters.

Frati, who is also a 6-3 righty, will get the ball for FDU in its season opener at Davidson. The 2013 NJCBA Division I All-Rookie selection became the Knights' ace over the second half of the season en route to leading the pitching staff with 57.1 innings pitched. Frati made six starts (14 appearances), constructing a 3-2 record and a 5.18 ERA to go along with 30 strikeouts and only 18 walks.

Borelli, the 2012 NJCBA Division I Rookie Pitcher of the Year, looks to bounce back in a big way in 2013 after going winless in 10 starts. Cuono won two games as a freshman after making nine starts and appearing in 13 games while logging 51.2 innings on the mound.

Also in the mix is freshman Joe Flack (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's Boys), who was a standout at St. Peter's Boys High School on Staten Island, N.Y., and junior John Chalupa (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury), who is a junior college transfer from Odessa College in Texas but a native of upstate New York. Both newcomers have the ability to touch 90 on the radar gun.

The bullpen is the most experienced piece of the FDU roster, with juniors Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh), Yonah Perline (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Dominic) and Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) starting their third year in their roles.

Snyder is arguably the top closer in the NEC and needs one save to become the Knights' all-time saves leader, as he currently has 16, with 12 coming during his freshman season when he was named Second Team All-NEC and the NJCBA Division I Fireman of the Year. The co-captain appeared in 22 games in 2013, going 1-1 with four saves. He also struck out 19 in 28.2 innings pitched while leading all pitchers on the staff with a 5.02 ERA.

Perline returns as the eighth-inning man for FDU. He has already appeared in 50 games in his Knights' career, including 23 last season, which he went 0-1 with 12 strikeouts in 20.2 innings on the bump.

Calise ranks seventh all-time in appearances at FDU with 57 and will more than likely become number one on the list sometime this season. Primarily used in the seventh inning, Calise went 1-2 in 32 appearances, throwing 32.1 innings.

Chalupa will also see some time in the bullpen, along with McGrath, who appeared in five games on the mound, posting a 2.08 ERA. Brennan will also pitch in relief, and MacDonald, who is the only left-handed pitcher on the team.

SCHEDULE
The Knights are scheduled to play 53 contests this season, including 24 in NEC play and 22 at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.

For the second time in three seasons, FDU will begin its season at the Davidson Tournament in Davidson, N.C. The Knights will play three games Feb. 21-23, with the season opener against Davidson, followed by two contests with Lehigh.

The following weekend (Feb. 28 – March 2) FDU travels west to Kentucky to face Morehead State in a three-game series, before coming home Saturday, March 8 to play the first two games of a three-game set with Lafayette (March 9 at Lafayette).

The Knights stay local on March 12 with a contest at St. John's, and will then face NJIT (March 14) and Lehigh (March 15-16) at home.

FDU and in-state rival Seton Hall will play a three-game series March 21-23, with one contest played at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex, sandwiched between two games in South Orange, N.J.

Former NEC rival Monmouth will come to town March 26, before the Knights embark on a four-game series at NYIT (March 29-30) and a single game at Army on April 1.

NEC play starts April 4-6 when FDU hosts Sacred Heart in a four-game set. The Knights will then play another conference series at Wagner the following weekend (April 11-13).

After a return trip to Monmouth on April 16, FDU will host conference opponent Central Connecticut State at home for four games (April 17-19), before taking on a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schools: at Siena (April 22), home vs. Iona (April 23).

The Knights and NJIT will play a four-game series April 26-27, with the first doubleheader at Newark and the second twinbill at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.

The season concludes with three straight four-game sets against conference foes: at LIU Brooklyn (May 2-4), home vs. Bryant (May 9-11), at Mount St. Mary's (May 16-18).

The four-team NEC Tournament is scheduled to return to Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn., the site of the 2011 and 2012 championships, May 22-25 (Memorial Day Weekend). Dodd Stadium is the home of the Norwich Tigers, who are the Short-Season Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.