via press release – photo via Tampa web site   TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 4 University of Tampa men’s lacrosse team has announced captains for the upcoming 2017 season. Seniors Charlie Cummins, Marty Heyn, Jake Schmidt and Conor Whipple will guide the Spartans for the upcoming season. Cummins, a defender from Penfield, N.Y. was stalwart on defense just a season ago posting 31 ground balls while ranking first on the team with 24 caused turnovers. The 6-2 senior was named All-Sunshine State Conference First Team while starting in all 17 contests for UT. Heyn, a 5-10 defender from Gaithersburg, Md. was a USILA All-America Honorable Mention during the 2016 campaign, earning the honor for the second time. The senior was a two-time All-SSC First Team selection and posted 77 ground balls and 66 caused turnovers during his time at Tampa. Schmidt, a 6-4 offensive juggernaut earned USILA All-America Third Team honors as a red-shirt junior. The offensive midfielder totaled 36 goals and 14 assists, including a career-high five goals in the Spartans’ comeback win over Mercyhurst in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals. The 6-4 attacker was named All-SSC First Team for his efforts at UT. Whipple, a senior attacker and three time USILA All-American is the career leader in points (248), goals (127) and assists (121). The 6-1 Tampa, Fla. native was named SSC Player of the Year as a freshman and junior and is a three time All-SSC First Team selection. UT will play 16 regular-season contests, including 10 home contests and five Sunshine State Conference matchups. The Spartans will hit the road for six games, including a late-season contest in New York. The Spartans open up the season against Tusculum on Sunday, Feb. 5 at noon before a key regional matchup against Queens (N.C.) on Feb. 11. UT will travel to St. Louis, Mo. to battle Lindenwood and Maryville (Mo.) before returning home to face regional rival Limestone at home for a 1 p.m. matchup on Feb. 25. The month of March opens with a pair of home contests, as UT will host Chestnut Hill on March 4 at 7 p.m. before welcoming Notre Dame de Namur on March 8 at 8 p.m. Tampa will make a quick trip to Belmont Abbey for a 1 p.m. game on March 11 before meeting Westminster (Utah) and Colorado Mesa on March 14 and 22, respectively, with both matches starting at 8 p.m. Tampa will open SSC action with a home contest against Rollins on March 25 before hosting Lynn on April 1^st at 8 p.m. UT will travel to Lakeland, Fla. to meet rival Florida Southern on April 5^th before heading to Broadway, N.Y. to meet NYIT in a 12 p.m. showdown on April 8. The Spartans will close out its home schedule with a senior day matchup against Florida Tech on April 15 at 8 p.m. before finishing the regular season at Saint Leo on April 22. Postseason will begin with the Sunshine State Conference Tournament on April 28 on site of the top-seeded program, with times to be determined. Fans may follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/tampaspartans), Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans) , Vimeo (www.vimeo.com/tampaspartans), YouTube (www.youtube.com/utathletics) and Instagram (tampaspartans). UT also offers free messaging service for text and/or email, which sends alerts and press releases for Spartan teams. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com. A free app is also available for free download through Apple and Google Play stores. Please search for Tampa Spartans Front Row.