BOSTON – The Suffolk baseball team opens the 71st season on Friday, March 9 versus Albion when it travels to Auburndale, Florida for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. As the first pitch of the 2018 campaign draws closer, GoSuffolkRams.com will take an in-depth look at each of the team's position groups. The first of three editions looks at the outfielders.  

All eyes will be on the Rams' centerfield as D3Baseball.com Preseason All-American Brady Chant returns for his final campaign in Suffolk blue-and-gold. The 6-foot-3 senior captain has been instrumental to Suffolk's three consecutive GNAC Crowns with an all-american nod, multiple all-region and all-conference accolades to prove it.  

With a handful of Rams' records on the hinge of being broken by Chant's bat, he looks to improve upon his 2017 numbers, which featured a .361 batting average, 69 hits and a New England leading 118 total bases, a number that ranked third among NCAA Division III hitters. He racked up 13 doubles, four homers and a school-record 12 triples in 191 plate appearances. Chant's 12 hits good for three bags secured his spot as the 2017 NCAA DIII Statistical Champion in both triples and triples per game (.27) with the Warwick, Rhode Island, native leading Suffolk's squad to identical team honors in both categories.  

Chant's offensive numbers rolled into defensive highlight catches. Throughout three seasons in center, he has put together a .986 fielding percentage with just five errors in 358 total chances in 133 games played.  

Chant headlines the returners that features two-year starter Seth Coiley, a two-time all-conference player. Coiley enters his senior season following a 38-hit, 24-RBI, campaign.    

Junior Zach Grogan (.268, 19 H, 15 R) also has outfield experience, while freshmen Will Hopkins and Ryan Sarcione look to give the outfield a rookie spark.