Sports

Baseball

Expectations are high for the baseball team after the 2019 season, when the team won its first-ever Liberty League tournament title, earned a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament, and posted a 29–17 mark—one of the best in the program’s history. In the 2020 season, a 38-game campaign that starts in late February, the Yellowjackets are scheduled to play five opponents who also reached the NCAA playoffs last year. Coach Joe Reina heads the team with a career record of 384–313–2 at Rochester.

Lacrosse

The team looks to build momentum with six season-starting road games, gaining experience for key late-season conference games. Rochester’s home opener is slated for March 21 against defending league champion William Smith, who finished last season ranked No. 15 in Division III. Coach Sue Behme is beginning her 10th season with the Yellowjacket lacrosse program.

Softball

The Yellowjackets, who reached the finals of the Liberty League conference tournament last year, hit the ground running in 2020. The 40-game season begins in mid-February and includes a trip to California for games with Chapman, La Verne, Whittier, and Pomona-Pitzer. Coach Margaret Yerdon-Grange is entering her 11th season leading the Rochester program. She has a .594 winning percentage with nine seasons of 20-plus victories.

Men’s Tennis

With a schedule that features regionally and nationally ranked opponents, men’s tennis will face some of the best Division III teams during the 2020 season. Coach Matt Nielsen brings nearly a dozen years of experience coaching the program, averaging more than 11 wins a season since the 2008–09 season.

Women’s Tennis

The 15-match season opens February 15, featuring five home matches on the way to conference championship play in late April. In 11 years as head coach, Matt Nielsen has led the team to more than 100 wins and sent players to the NCAA Division III championships twice.

Track and Field

The Yellowjackets hope to duplicate last year’s success, with Rochester sending a total of 15 athletes to the NCAA Division III championships in either the winter or spring competition. The women led the way, finishing ninth indoors with a total of four All-Americans, including three during the indoor season. Going into this year’s schedule, the teams are set for 22 meets over two seasons—11 indoors and 11 more during the outdoor campaign.

The indoor season opened December 6 at Nazareth College, and the spring semester got under way at the RIT Invitational. The outdoor season opens April 4 at Fauver Stadium with the Alumni Invitational. A second home event is set for April 18.