Press Release Written by Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Coming off a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament, the Wilmington University baseball team earned eight first place votes to take the top spot in the South Division in the 2019 CACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Wildcats had an overall record of 35-21 for the year last season. The men earned the second seed for the CACC Tournament, after going 23-9 in the conference and went on to defeat Felician in the Championship. With the CACC Championship, the Wildcats earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament with the No. 7 seed.
Wilmington earned the top spot over the CACC Regular Season Champion Felician for a second straight year. WilmU earned 68 total points and eight first place votes to take the top spot in the South Division. Felician finished with 62 total points and three first place votes to take the second place spot.
Chestnut Hill would earn the third spot in the South with 42 total points, as Goldey-Beacom netted the fourth spot with a total of 40 points. Jefferson would pick up one first place vote, but earn the fifth place spot with 28 points, as USciences rounded out the final spot in the South with 11 points.
Post University would take the first place spot in the North Division with 66 total points and seven first place votes after reaching the CACC Tournament last season. Dominican, who also clinched a spot in the league's Tournament, would earn the final five first place votes for a total of 65 points to take the second slot in the coaches poll.
Concordia would earn 39 points for the third place spot, as Bloomfield took the fourth spot in the North with 35 points. Nyack finished with 26 points for the fifth spot with Caldwell rounding out the North in the sixth spot with 20 total points.
The Wildcats return three All-East Regional players from last season, including seniors Max Carney, Justin Mears, and Brad Scull, along with three All-CACC members, Kendall Small, Brooks Ryan, and Frank Nigro.
The top four teams from each division advance to a single-elimination play-in game with the four winners moving on to the double-elimination portion of the CACC Tournament. The 2019 CACC Tournament will be held at Post University in Waterbury, Conn., from May 9-11.
AGATE:
2019 CACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
North Division
1. Post University 66 (7)
2. Dominican College 65 (5)
3. Concordia College 39
4. Bloomfield College 35
5. Nyack College 26
6. Caldwell University 20
South Division
1. Wilmington University 68 (8)
2. Felician University 62 (3)
3. Chestnut Hill College 42
4. Goldey-Beacom College 40
5. Jefferson 28 (1)
6. University of the Sciences 11
() - First-Place Votes