IRVING, Texas - - Coming off an East Regional appearance in which the Wilmington University baseball team defeated second seed Le Moyne in the opening round, the Wildcats earned eight national votes and were picked fourth in the east in the 2013 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Preseason Poll released on Friday.
In addition to the team earning national attention and 44 points in the East Region Top 10, junior starting pitcher Jamie Treml was named Preseason First Team All-East Region. Treml was the lone representative for the Wildcats, and was only one of five student-athletes from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference named to either the first or second team.
The Wildcats went 33-18 overall last season, finishing second in the CACC standings to earn a bye in the first round of the CACC Tournament with a 14-6 record. The Wildcats started 2-6 in conference play before winning the final 12 CACC contests from April 5 to the end of the season. The team won each of its three games in the CACC Tournament to capture its second straight, and third in the last four seasons, CACC Tournament Championship, earning the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA East Region Tournament.
The 2013 squad returns 16 letterwinners from last year's championship team, including three field starters and its top two starting pitchers. Treml is the lone returner that earned postseason accolades in 2012, being named Second Team All-CACC and ABCA All-Region. He also picked up East Region All-Tournament and All-CACC Tournament team honors, including being named the CACC Tournament MVP by posting a CACC Tournament record 16 strikeouts in a complete game shutout over Dominican in the second round.
The 2013 schedule features three teams ranked in the Preseason National Top 25 (No. 5 West Chester, No. 9 Franklin Pierce, and No. 16 Nova Southeastern), including Southern New Hampshire who earned the most votes outside of the National Top 25. The Wildcats will also face four teams ranked in the East Region Top 10 (No. 1 Franklin Pierce, No. 3 Southern New Hampshire, No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 10 Dowling), as well as Dominican and Felician who earned votes in the region.
The Wildcats open the 2013 campaign on February 23 with a three game set against St. Thomas Aquinas on the road. The 2013 home opener is scheduled for February 26 at newly named Wilson Field at Jim Sherman Sr. Stadium against defending NCAA Division II National Champions West Chester. First pitch for the home opener is set for 3 p.m.
AGATE:
NCBWA East Region Preseason Top 10
1. Franklin Pierce (5 first place votes) – 79 points
2. LeMoyne (2) – 78
3. Southern New Hampshire (2) – 76
4. Wilmington – 44
5. Stonehill – 39
6. St. Anselm – 37
7. St. Thomas Aquinas – 36
8. Southern Connecticut State – 32
9. Dowling – 24
Also Receiving Votes: Dominican – 10; Felician – 5; Bentley – 2; LIU Post – 2.
NCBWA Preseason All-East Region First Team:
SP: Bo Budkevic (LIU Post)
SP: Casey Cannon (LeMoyne)
SP: Jamie Treml (Wilmington)
SP: Dan McMahon (USciences)
RP: AJ Tournier (Southern Conn. State)
RP: Kevin Carroll (LeMoyne)
C: Matt Walsh (Franklin Pierce)
1B: Zach Mathieu ( Franklin Pierce)
2B: James Katsiroubas (UMass-Lowell)
3B: Stanley Susana (St. Thomas Aquinas)
SS: Shane Keddy (Assumption)
OF: Zach Wiley (LeMoyne)
OF: Joe Petosa (Felician)
OF: Nick LeCroix (Franklin Pierce)
UT: Robert Kelly (St. Anselm)
DH: Mike Russo (St. Thomas Aquinas)