For the third straight year, the Hofstra University baseball team opened their season by challenging themselves with a trip to a Division I Baseball Preseason Top 25 team. This year, opening day saw a narrow 6-5 loss against No. 4 Mississippi State University on Friday, Feb. 13.
Carlos Martinez returned to the mound for the first time since May 23, 2024, after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He pitched 3.2 innings and gave up two hits and four runs, all in the fourth inning. Martinez opened his comeback by hitting batter James Nunnalee – who was then caught stealing – and striking out the next two batters. In total, he struck out five batters this game. Martinez struck out five batters in his return to action
The Pride was the first to score. With one out in the top of the fourth, CJ Griggs recorded a base hit to right field, then Gabriel Melara, in his NCAA debut, doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Nick Gallello hit a two-run double to give the Pride a 2-0 lead.
With Martinez struggling through the Mississippi State lineup the second time around, the Pride’s lead was gone. After striking Nunnalee out, Martinez gave up his first hit of the season, a single to Ace Reese. Aidan Teel, the younger brother of Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, then walked two put two men on base. Afterward, Reed Stallman tied the game with a one-out double.
A series of wild pitches from Martinez led to his departure from the game and to Stallman’s scoring Mississippi State’s next run. Catcher Nick Biddle made a throwing error to cost the Pride Bulldogs another run, but the inning ended when freshman Nick Reese, in his collegiate debut, pitched a groundout ball to Kevin Milewski.
During the next half-inning, Tyler Castrataro drew a full-count walk and was brought home by newcomer Danny Corona, who hit a two-out double to drive in Tyler Castrataro and bring the Pride’s deficit to 4-3. The damage ended there, though. Then, Corona was caught stealing, which prevented the Pride from tying Mississippi State, who collected a full-count walk to get on base, then was caught stealing as the Pride ended the inning one run shy of the Bulldogs, 4-3.
Nick Reese, a freshman, got the first two batters out in the bottom of the fifth, but loaded the bases on a hit- by- pitch and two consecutive walks. Maddon McArthur, a sophomore transfer from Division III Beloit College, relieved Nick Reese but walked in a run and gave up the Bulldogs’ final run on a balk. Their lead expanded to 6-3.
The Pride didn’t go away, though. Gallello continued his strong game with an RBI single in the sixth inning, bringing Melara home Melara. Down two runs with four more chances to bat, Hofstra acted upon the scoring deficit but fell short. Gallello drove in a speedy Melara from second base on a one-out single in the top of the sixth.
Then, three innings later, the Pride staged an albeit unsuccessful attempt at a come-from-behind win. In the ninth inning, Hofstra staged a final push. Michael Craig, pinch- hitting for JJ DeVito, was hit by a pitch to open the inning, then Michael Brown doubled to put both runners in scoring positionthe tying run in scoring position. Tyler Cox, also returning from an injury from last season, hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Craig and move Brown to third, but a strikeout from Castrataro ended the game. But Castrataro struck out with the tying run 90 feet away, ending the comeback bid.
Melara and Gallello each went 3-4; Brown, Castrataro, Corona, and Griggs also each recorded at least one base hit.
Duke Stone took the win for Mississippi State after coming in the fifth inning and striking out four batters, despite giving up three runs on two hits. Ben Davis got his first save of the year.
The Pride concluded their series with the Bulldogs with a Valentine’s Day doubleheader.
