FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2013
By Michael Ghika, Northeast-10 Communications
Ravens and Dolphins chosen to win
Northeast and Southwest Division regular-season titles
SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Franklin Pierce University and Le Moyne College have earned the top spots in their respective divisions in the 2013 Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the conference's head coaches.
Franklin Pierce received 108 points and 12 first-place votes to place first in the Northeast Division voting, while Le Moyne garnered 112 points and 14 first-place tallies to take the Southwest Division poll.
Both programs were among four Northeast-10 schools to reach the NCAA East Regional a year ago, as Franklin Pierce (38-19-1) won a share of the Northeast Division with a 14-6-1 record, while Le Moyne (43-15-1) finished second in the Southwest with a 15-6 record en route to winning the Northeast-10 Championship in its first year back with the conference after reclassifying from the Division I level.
Franklin Pierce is ranked ninth in the most recent Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll, with Le Moyne coming in at No. 24.
Southern New Hampshire University (43-15), which is coming off its first-ever Division II College World Series appearance a year ago, finished second in the Northeast Division poll with 99 points and four first-place votes. The Penmen, currently ranked No. 20 in the nation, missed last year's Northeast-10 Championship after going 12-9 in divisional play, but were still selected to host the NCAA Regional before advancing to the CWS in Cary, N.C.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (26-20-1) finished third in the Northeast Division voting with 92 points, while Stonehill College (30-19) was fourth with 61 points. Saint Anselm College (29-25-2) finished fifth with 57 points a year removed from going to its first-ever NCAA Regional and hosting the Northeast-10 Championship.
Bentley University (28-23) was sixth with 50 points, while Merrimack College (17-32) and Saint Michael's College (11-29) rounded out the poll with 40 and 15 points, respectively.
Southern Connecticut State University (31-17) finished second in the Southwest Division voting with 92 points and one first-place vote, while Pace University (29-19) was third with 81 points and one first-place tally. Pace won the Southwest regular-season title last season with a 17-4 divisional mark.
The University of New Haven (25-19-1) finished fourth with 75 points, followed by Adelphi University (23-22) and The College of Saint Rose (15-29) with 63 and 42 points, respectively. Assumption College (13-21) totaled 25 points and American International College (17-27-1) received 22 points to round out the poll.
For the complete poll results, please see below.
The Northeast-10 is entering its second season of divisional play, as teams play 21 games within their division and eight more contests of crossover play. The top four teams from each division – based on their 21-game divisional record – will advance to the Northeast-10 Championship. Overall conference record serves as a tiebreaker if teams are tied in divisional play as well as head-to-head record.
Entering the 2013 season, eight Northeast-10 student-athletes were named East Region Preseason All Americans, while Franklin Pierce senior Ryan Thompson (pictured) and So. New Hampshire junior Alex Powers were both ranked among the top Division II prospects by Baseball America for the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
2013 Northeast-10 Baseball Coaches' Poll
Northeast Division
1. Franklin Pierce (12) – 108
2. So. New Hampshire (4) – 99
3. UMass Lowell – 92
4. Stonehill – 61
5. Saint Anselm – 57
6. Bentley – 50
7. Merrimack – 40
8. Saint Michael's – 15
Southwest Division
1. Le Moyne (14) – 112
2. So. Connecticut (1) – 92
3. Pace (1) – 81
4. New Haven – 75
5. Adelphi – 63
6. Saint Rose – 42
7. Assumption – 25
8. American Int'l – 22
( ) – indicates first-place votes
- #NE10 -
