St. Joe's (Maine) Selected First in Preseason Coaches' Poll

Defending GNAC tournament champion St. Joe’s has been chosen as the baseball preseason favorite of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in a vote conducted by the league’s coaches. The Monks, who despite starting conference play 0-4 battled back to earn their first GNAC conference title after just one year of competition in the GNAC, received four first place votes and a total of 51 points in the GNAC baseball preseason poll. The Monks return a duo of first-team all-conference performers, senior outfielder Wade Oliver and junior infielder Ben Grant-Roy. Additionally, the Monks return second-team all-conference and the 2008 GNAC Rookie of the Year sophomore catcher Ian Lee.

Suffolk University, the regular season champions from last season with a 14-0 conference record, was selected second in the preseason poll with 45 points and three first place votes. Head Coach Cary McConnnell, the 2008 GNAC Baseball Coach of the Year, returns a trio of first-team all-conference selections, junior catcher Bobby Barrett, sophomore infielder Jose Alejandro, and senior outfielder Keith Carter.

Completing the top six in the preseason poll in projected order of finish in the regular season standings are Johnson & Wales (38), Albertus Magnus (29), Rivier (26), and Emerson (24).

Six of the eight Great Northeast Athletic Conference teams will advance to the 2009 GNAC Championship Tournament. The 2009 GNAC Conference semifinals and championships will take place on the campus of St. Joe’s (Maine) April 25-26. The 2009 GNAC Conference Championship Champion will earn the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

1. Saint Joseph's (Maine) (51)

2. Suffolk (45)

3. Johnson & Wales (38)

4. Albertus Magnus (29)

5. Rivier (26)

6. Emerson (24)