BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - - Ahead of the 2020 season starting in late February, the Wilmington University baseball team has been picked third in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association East Region Preseason Poll, as picked by media members around the region.
The Wildcats also have the utility position locked down, as reigning unanimous East Region Player of the Year Eddie Nevins was named Preseason First Team NCBWA All-East Region and redshirt senior Dan Hyatt returns and was named Preseason Second Team NCBWA All-East Region.
Wilmington earned 66 points in the preseason poll, trailing reigning East Region champion New York Tech and runner-up Southern New Hampshire. The Wildcats went 40-18 last season, losing to New York Tech in the NCAA East Region 1 Tournament Championship round.
New York Tech earned eight first place votes to garner 89 points to top the list. Southern New Hampshire picked up the final first place vote and 82 total points to finish second.
Adelphi, last year's No. 1 team in the Regional Tournament, finished just behind Wilmington with 65 points while Franklin Pierce picked up 49 points to place fifth overall. Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference counterpart Felician was sixth with 45 points followed by Pace in seventh with 30 points.
Assumption earned 24 points to claim the eighth spot while the Top 10 is rounded out by a pair of CACC teams in Dominican (11 points) and Chestnut Hill (10 points).
Bentley (nine points), Le Moyne (four points), Stonehill (four points), Bridgeport (two points), Molloy (two points), Southern Connecticut State (two points), and Queens (one point) also received votes in the poll.
Nevins set a program record by hitting .440 last year, hitting 15 doubles with five triples and eight home runs. He knocked in 62 runners while scoring 65 more himself in his All-American campaign.
Hyatt threw the most innings for the Wildcats last year, going 10-1 with two saves last year in 75.2 innings pitched. He struck out 80 batters while only allowing 20 walks and finished with a 2.97 ERA. He also batted .308 in 104 at bats last year, hitting four doubles, two triples, and three homers with 21 RBI and 25 runs scored.
The Wildcats begin their 2020 schedule on Friday, February 21 with a doubleheader against Stonehill at the Ripkin Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
AGATE:
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association East Region Preseason Poll
1. New York Tech (8 first place votes) – 89 points – 37-16 (2019 record)
2. Southern New Hampshire (1) – 82 – 40-15
3. Wilmington (Del.) – 66 – 40-18
4. Adelphi – 65 – 34-9-1
5. Franklin Pierce – 49 – 29-24
6. Felician – 45 – 31-23
7. Pace – 30 – 31-15
8. Assumption – 24 – 26-20
9. Dominican (N.Y.) – 11 – 29-25
10. Chestnut Hill – 10 – 27-22
Others Receiving Votes:
Bentley (Mass.)-9 pts. (21-21)
LeMoyne (N.Y.)-4 pts. (24-25)
Stonehill (Mass.)-4 pts. (22-25)
Bridgeport (Conn.)-2 pts. (21-29)
Molloy (N.Y.)-2 pts. (17-27)
Southern Conn. State-2 pts. (20-28)
Queens (N.Y.)-1 pt. (25-24-1)
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason All-Region Teams
First Team:
C – Ryan Kuskowski, Sr., New York Tech, Nesconset, N.Y.
1B – Tyler Melko. Sr., Post, Knoxville, Pa.
2B – Josh Goldstein, Sr., S. New Hampshire, Haverhill, Mass.
3B – Aidan Wilde, Soph., Stonehill, Milford, Mass.
SS – John Mooradian, Sr., Mercy, Marlboro, N.Y.
OF – Matt Chamberlain, Sr., New Haven, N. Branford, Conn.
OF – EJ Cumbo, Soph., NYIT, East Meadow, N.Y.
OF – Max Troiani, Sr., Bentley, Pittsford, N.Y.
DH – Lawrence Cicileo, Sr., Adelphi, Milford, Pa.
Util – Eddie Nevins, Sr., Wilmington (Del.), Fairfax, Va.
SP – Derek Duffy, Sr., Franklin Pierce, Farmington, Conn.
SP – DJ Masuck, Sr. New York Tech, Tampa, Fla.
SP – Alex Schwartz, Sr., Felician, Voorhees, N.J.
RP – Jeffrey Praml, Jr., S. New Hampshire, Bridgewater, N.J.
Second Team:
C – Mike DeMartino, Sr., S. Connecticut State, New Haven, Conn.
1B – Ryan Berardino, Sr., Bentley, Sudbury, Mass.
2B – Chris Anderson, Soph., UScienes, Upper Darby, Pa.
3B – Tyree Bradley, Soph., Bloomfield, West Orange, N.J.
SS – Josh Colon, Sr., Dominican (N.Y.), Bronx, N.Y.
OF – Travious Ford, Sr., Post, Greenville, N.C.
OF – John LaRocca, Sr., NYIT, Plainview, N.Y.
OF – Jon Strauss, Soph., Queens (N.Y.), Parkland, Fla.
DH – Joseph Impeduglia, Sr., Concordia (N.Y.), Staten Island, N.Y.
Util – Dan Hyatt, Sr., Wilmington (Del.), Newark, Del.
SP – Cole Chudoba, Jr., Assumption, Oxford, Conn.
SP – David Gauthier, Sr., Nyack, Mt. Saint-Hilaire, Canada
SP – Wesley Tobin, Sr., S, New Hampshire, Portsmouth, N.H.
RP – Nick Nardulli, Jr.., Felician, Staten Island, N.Y.