POUGHKEEPSIE – Former Marist baseball player Mike Orefice, a 2013 graduate, has signed to play professionally for the San Rafael Pacifics of the independent Pacific Association.

Orefice departed Marist as the program's all-time leader in total chances (1,660), putouts (1,521) and fielding percentage (.996). In the program's career records, he also placed fourth in runs batted in (142), tied for seventh in doubles (47), eighth in runs (147), eighth in hits (222), tied for eighth in games played (198), and ninth in at-bats (704).

Orefice was named Second Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in both 2012 and 2013, and was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team last season.

The Marist baseball team has finished at least .500 in each of the past five seasons, and have had six players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in the past three seasons. The Red Foxes open the 2014 season on Friday at the Cardinal Classic, hosted by Lamar. Marist will play both Illinois-Chicago and Lamar on Friday and Saturday.