Owls Ranked 28th in ABCA Pre-Season Baseball Poll

Defending LEC champs Keene State is ranked 28th in the ABCA Pre-Season Baseball Poll

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.- For the second straight season, the Little East Conference has placed three institutions in the annual American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball Division III Preseason Coaches' Poll. The University of Southern Maine leads the conference contingent with the No. 5 ranking, while Eastern Connecticut State University and Keene State College debut at No. 10 and 28, respectively.

Cortland State (N.Y.) edged Chapman (Calif.) by just two points for the top spot in the 2009 preseason coaches' poll. The top-four teams were separated by 10 points with the Red Dragons setting the pace with 260 total points. Adrian (Mich.) and Kean (N.J.) begin the campaign ahead of Southern Maine.  

Keene State College is making its second straight appearance in the national preseason rankings, rising two spots from last season. Head Coach Ken Howe led his Owls to the program's third consecutive 30-plus win season, establishing a new standard for wins with a 34-11 mark. Keene State captured its first Little East Conference Tournament Championship and secured the program's second NCAA Division III New England Regional berth. The Owls return four All-Little East Conference selections into the fold, including the 2008 Co-Rookie of the Year Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.).

Under the leadership of Head Coach Ed Flaherty, the Huskies have appeared in the preseason coaches' poll in eight of the past 11 listings. Southern Maine is making its fourth appearance in the top-10, sharing the program's highest preseason ranking with the 2007 squad.

Last season, Flaherty led the Huskies to the program's 10th season with at least 30 victories, posting an overall record of 36-14. Southern Maine earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament, entering the tournament fray seeded fourth. The Huskies' strung together four consecutive victories to reach the championship game of the New England Regional, before bowing to the eventual national champion, Trinity College (Conn.). Southern Maine also advanced to the finals of the 2008 Little East Conference Championship Tournament. Flaherty will welcome back a pair of ABCA Division III All-Americans in senior shortstop Chris Burleson (Portland, Maine) and senior outfielder Anthony D'Alfonso (Westbrook, Maine).

The Warriors are no strangers to the ABCA preseason rankings, appearing in each of the previous 10 editions. Head Coach Bill Holowaty and his charges have received a top-10 preseason ranking seven times, including the top spot in the nation in 2004.

In 2008, Eastern Connecticut (32-15-1) qualified for its 29th NCAA Division III Tournament in the 33-year history of the championship. Seeded fifth in the eight-team New York Regional, the Warriors advanced to the regional semifinals after losing its tournament opener. Eastern Connecticut streaked into the Little East Conference Championship Tournament, winning 17 of its final 19 contests. The Warriors advanced to the semifinals, where they were edged by Keene State in the bottom of the ninth inning, 1-0. Eastern Connecticut returns four All-New England Region picks, including 2007 National Player of the Year senior Shawn Gilblair (Windham, Conn.).  

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is the other Little East institution to be ranked in the preseason survey, earning the No. 12 ranking in 1999. The Corsairs were sandwiched between Eastern Connecticut (7) and Southern Maine (19).