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Suffolk Tops Baseball 2010 GNAC Pre-Season Poll
The 2009 GNAC Champion, Suffolk University has been chosen as the 2010 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Baseball preseason favorite in a vote conducted by GNAC coaches. St. Joseph’s College of Maine came in a close second place, with Johnson & Wales, Albertus Magnus, and a tied Emerson and Lasell rounding out the remaining top six teams in the 2010 preseason poll.
Point Totals:
1. Suffolk (46)
2. St. Joe’s ME (45)
3. Johnson & Wales (32)
4. Albertus (30)
5. Emerson (24)
Lasell (24)
#1 Suffolk Rams
Suffolk University, the 2009 GNAC Champions have clinched a top seeded spot in the 2010 pre-season poll by only one point. The Rams finished last season with a 30-11 overall record and 12-4 in the GNAC lead by Coach Cary O’Connell who earned his 400th career win last season. Senior catcher Bobby Barrett will lead the team behind the plate and at the plate, after earning GNAC 1st team award, D3baseball.com All-American honorable mention, and NEIBA First Team All-New England honors. Barrett finished the 2009 season with a .374 batting average with 7 homeruns, a stunning 68 RBIs, 14 doubles, 5 triples, and 58 hits. The Rams will return their starting shortstop junior Mark Addesa, who was a GNAC 1st team selection in 2009. Senior Rory Gentile will be returning to outfield after earning GNAC 1st team honors and Co-SIDA 1st Team All-District. Junior Jon Handy will add the offensive force for the Rams as the designated hitter, who earned a GNAC 2nd team all-conference honor last season.
The Rams start their season with a trip to Winter Haven, Florida and play Rhode Island College March 13. Once they return, they play their home and conference opener March 27 vs. Johnson and Wales (DH) at 12:00pm.
#2 St. Joseph’s (ME)
The St. Joseph’s of Maine baseball team heads into the 2010 season with eight former starters and six 2009 All-GNAC honorees. Last season the Monks went an outstanding 31-13 overall and 13-1 in the GNAC, earning a top place finish in the regular season. Leading the team will be the 2009 GNAC Coach of the Year, Will Sanborn, who will enter his 18th season coaching the Monks. St. Joseph’s will be returning their senior pitcher Patrick Moran, who received GNAC 2009 Pitcher and Player of the Year awards, selected to NEIBA D.III All-New England, and also named D3baseball.com All-American honorable mention. Moran can not only pitch but has quite a bat as well, putting up a .411 (46-112) average with 11 homeruns, 44 RBIs and an .813 slugging percentage in the 2009 season. Behind the plate, is junior catcher Ian Lee, who was high school teammates with Moran. Lee led the GNAC in 2009 in batting average with .475, selected to 2nd Team All-Conference and also named to the D3baseball.com All-American Honor Mention list. Senior first baseman Ben Grant Roy returns after achieving a .384 batting average, with 41 RBIs and 17 doubles. Grant Roy was named to the 2009 GNAC All-Conference First Team as well as NEIBA Third Team. Junior Chris Campbell, GNAC 1st Team Utility, will be coming off of a season with a .423 (63-149) batting average, with 43 runs, 28 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. The infield will have another returner at second base, senior Michael Burdin, who achieved GNAC 1st team honors in 2009. Leading the outfield for the Monks, will be junior Eric LaBatte, after receiving GNAC 2nd team honors last season.
The Monks begin their season March 7 vs. Clark (Mass.) in Winter Haven, Florida. Their home and conference opener will take place on March 27 vs. GNAC foe Rivier (DH) at 12:00pm.
#3 Johnson & Wales Wildcats
After coming off of a 20-23 overall record and 8-4 in the GNAC, Johnson & Wales hopes to continue their success in the 2010 season with their experienced players. The Wildcats return on the leadership of senior pitcher Jeff Jordan and junior outfielder Bryan Sayers who both earned GNAC All-Conference 3rd team honors in 2009.
The Wildcats will begin their season Feb. 27 vs. Ogelthorpe in Lake Myrtle, Florida. Their home opener will be March 18 vs. WPI at 3:30pm.
#4 Albertus Falcons
The Falcons finished in third place in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference last season after hosting a play-off game for the first time in eight seasons. Albertus will be returning six players who earned GNAC All-Conference honors including most of their infield. Senior third baseman Peter Rogan earned GNAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Senior designated hitter John Starola, senior second baseman Erik Suraci and junior Kyle Calechman, who will step into the shortstop position, all achieved 2009 honors of GNAC 3rd Team and will be returning as starters for the Falcons. Of the 21 players on this year's roster, 15 will step on the mound this season, which will add tremendous strength to the Falcons defense including junior pitcher Charles Chanico (GNAC 3rd Team) and senior transfer pitcher BJ Senna from Division II Felician College who brings a successful collegiate career to Albertus.
The Albertus Magnus College Men's Baseball Program will open their season March 13 vs. Eastern Connecticut State University in Yaphank, NY at Baseball Heaven at 2:00 pm. The Falcons home opener will take place on March 24 vs. Worchester State at 3:30pm.
#5 Emerson Lions
In 2009, the Lions had an overall record of 13-15 and were just edged in the GNAC playoffs by Johnson & Wales. This year they tied with Lasell in the pre-season GNAC Coaches’ poll with a total of 24 points. The Lions return several of their key players with high hopes of achieving great success in the new season. Senior outfielder Peter Karl will return to the 2010 Lions in hopes to achieve the great success he had last season. Karl was ranked third in the GNAC for his batting average (.449) and earned a spot on the GNAC 1st Team All-Conference and a 2nd Team CO-SIDA All-District selection. Junior Brian Kitson will return to the corner positions of third base and first base for the 2010 season after making the GNAC 2nd Team in 2009. Sophomore Ryan Garber, a GNAC 3rd Team selection, will return to shortstop for Lions.
The Lions will start their season in spring training in Lake Myrtle, Florida March 7 vs. Penn State Altoona. Emerson will have their home opener March 27 vs. conference rival Albertus Magnus at 12:00pm (DH) in Malden, MA.
#5 Lasell
Lasers
The Lasers finished the 2009 season with 6-9 record in the GNAC. They return the 2009 GNAC Rookie of the Year, Mike Mahoney, who recorded the highest batting average (.329) on the team, and the lowest era (3.21). Mahoney connected on 25 hits last season, including one triple and one homerun, earned 14 RBI's and added 12 runs of his own. On the mound, Mahoney was 3-1 with 28 strike outs. Fellow sophomore Josh Sullivan, GNAC 3rd Team All-Conference, will return to the utility spot after achieving much success in numerous infield positions. Sullivan has made seven appearances on the mound for Lasell, and finished the year with a 2-4 record and 30 strikeouts in only 35 innings pitched. At the plate, Sullivan went .301 having made 28 hits, including three doubles, three triples, one home run, 10 RBI's and leading the team in steals (7-7) and a total of 18 runs.
The Lasers begin their season March 17 vs. Frostburg State at 12:00pm. Lasell’s home opener will be March 25 vs. Wentworth at 7:00pm.
The top six teams in the conference regular season will qualify for the GNAC Playoffs en route to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The playoffs will begin its First Round on April 27th with team #6 @ #3 and #5 @ #4
