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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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March 15,
2007
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Rhode Island College Baseball Picked
Fourth in
Little East Conference Coaches Preseason Poll |
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Providence, RI—The
Rhode Island College baseball team was picked to finish fourth in
the 2007 Little East Conference Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Head Coach
Jay Grenier’s team is 2-4 on the season and is currently in
Florida. The Anchormen return a talented squad this spring, led by
sophomore outfielder Chris O’Connors (North Kingstown, RI),
the 2006 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year and First Team
All-Star. |
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All eight
of the Little East Conference coaches cast a ballot, but they were
not allowed to vote for their own team. A first-place vote received
seven points, while a second place vote earned six points. |
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The University
of Southern Maine’s baseball team sits atop the conference standings
in the annual Little East Conference Coaches’ Preseason Poll
released this afternoon by the conference office. The Huskies
received six first place votes and 48 total points to begin the 2007
slate as the conference frontrunner, while Eastern Connecticut
earned the remaining two first place ballots and 43 points to finish
second. |
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Under the
direction of Head Coach Ed Flaherty, Southern Maine has
posted 21 consecutive seasons with at least 20 victories, including
recording at least 30 wins eight times. Last season, the Huskies
registered an overall record of 32-17, including an 11-3 mark in the
conference circuit. Flaherty led his charges to a share of the
Little East Conference Regular Season Championship and the top seed
in the conference tournament. Southern Maine fell in the semifinals
of the Little East Conference Tournament, but earned an at-large
berth into the NCAA Tournament field. The Huskies welcome back 19
student-athletes from last season, including a trio of
All-Conference first-team selections. Southern Maine will host
Johnson & Wales in its season opener on March 17. |
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The defending
Little East Conference Tournament Champions, Eastern Connecticut,
was just five points off the pace. A year ago, the Warriors captured
the NCAA Division III Auburn Regional Championship to advance to the
World Series in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. Under the watchful eye of
Head Coach Bill Holowaty, Eastern Connecticut posted an
overall record of 36-20, including an 8-6 mark in the conference
circuit. The Warriors return 16 letterwinners from last season’s
tournament run, including All-American Shawn Giliblair (Windham,
CT) After a pair of rainouts, Eastern Connecticut will open its
campaign at Whittier College on March 16. |
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Keene State
College secured the No. 3 position with 38 total points. Last
season, the Owls earned a share of the regular season championship
with Southern Maine and the second seed in the conference
tournament. Under the direction of Head Coach Ken Howe, Keene
State advanced to the championship round of the tournament fray,
where they fell to Eastern Connecticut. The Owls earned their second
consecutive berth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Tournament, but torrential rains cancelled the remainder of the
tournament. Keene State kicks off its 2007 slate under the warm
Arizona weather. |
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Rhode Island
College and the UMass Boston sit in the fourth in fifth positions,
separated by just four points. The Anchormen earned 30 points, while
the Beacons tallied 26. Rhode Island College and UMass Boston each
qualified for the ECAC Tournament last spring, where the Anchormen
posted a 9-4 victory over the Beacons in the opening round. |
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UMass
Dartmouth (14) and Western Connecticut (14) are tied for the sixth,
while Plymouth State University (9) rounds out the 2007 Coaches’
Baseball Preseason Poll. |
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-end- |
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