ALVERNIA FAVORED IN COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
Annville, PA – Alvernia University has topped the annual Commonwealth Conference baseball coach’s preseason poll, earning 36 votes as the unanimous first place selection.
Alvernia enters the 2012 campaign looking for the one win that eluded them last year. In 2011 the Crusaders finished with 38 wins, but were one win shy of making it to the Division III College World Series. They return the Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year, senior Andrew Kirk (10-2, 1.62 ERA, 118 strikeouts) and Commonwealth Player of the Year, junior Chris Ray (.419 average, 72 hits, 41 RBIs) and each of the top five hitters for a team that batted .321.
Head Coach Yogi Lutz, the recently crowned King of Baseball town, enters his 26th season and is approaching 700 career wins. He and the Crusaders have stacked the schedule with regional powers including Johns Hopkins, Kean, Rowan, Keystone, and TCNJ. The season commences Saturday, Feb. 25 at Roanoke College, and the Spring Break trip starts Mar. 4 in Ft. Pierce, Florida, against Freedom preseason favorite Misericordia.
“I think it¹s great to start the season ranked number one, but in the end, it will take a lot of hard work to finish there in a very competitive conference. I believe our schedule will certainly test us early and often to see how we stack up against the nation¹s best teams,” said Lutz.
The Commonwealth Conference Tournament begins May 3, followed by the championship game on May 5.
2012 COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Alvernia 36 pts. (7)
2. Messiah 30 pts.
3t. Elizabethown 24 pts.
3t. Widener 24 pts.
5. Lebanon Valley 16 pts.
6. Albright 11 pts.
7. Arcadia 6 pts.
(#) denotes first place votes
MISERICORDIA FAVORED IN FREEDOM CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
Annville, PA – Misericordia University was chosen to win the annual preseason coaches poll in the Freedom Conference by earning 48 votes and six first place votes.
The Misericordia University baseball team returns 24 lettermen, including nine starters and 10 pitchers, from last year’s 30-16 team that won the Freedom Conference Championship and advanced to the winner’s bracket final of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament.
Junior center fielder and pre-season All-American honoree, Kenny Durling is one of four returning first-team All-Freedom selections. Second baseman Andrew Tressa and pitchers Pat Clark and Matt Karabin also return after earning All-Freedom honors a year ago.
Andres Gonzalez returns at catcher after being named second-team All-Freedom. Senior hurler Max Weintraub will bolster the pitching staff after missing last season due to injury.
“We’re honored that the Freedom coaches see us as the team to beat,” said Pete Egbert, the 2011 Freedom Coach of the Year. “Our goal is to win the Freedom and return to the NCAA Championships, and we believe that we have a roster that will put us in position to accomplish that goal.”
The Cougar’s opened their 2012 season against Shenandoah with a double header sweep. The Freedom Conference Tournament begins May 4, followed by the championship game on May 6.
2012 FREEDOM CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Misericordia 48 pts. (6)
2t. DeSales 39 pts. (1)
2t. FDU-Florham 39 pts. (1)
4. King’s 29 pts.
5. Manhattanville 23 pts.
6. Wilkes 20 pts.
7. Eastern 17 pts.
8. Delaware Valley 13 pts.
(#) denotes first place votes