BASEBALL PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN THE
NE-10 PRESEASON COACHES' POLL;
ALSO CHOSEN EIGHTH IN NCBWA NORTHEAST PRESEAON
POLL
PLEASANTVILLE, NY - The Pace University baseball team has been picked to finish fourth, receiving 129 points, in the 2008 Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll as voted on by the conference's 13 coaches. Franklin Pierce University, the reigning NE-10 regular season and tournament champions, were the unanimous number one pick receiving all 13 first place votes for 169 total points. The Setters were also chosen eighth, with 24 points, in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) Division II Northeast Regional Preseason Poll as voted on by the NCBWA's Northeast Regional committee. Franklin Pierce, the defending Northeast Region champions, was the unanimous number one pick receiving all nine first place votes for 90 total points.
Pace returns 24 letter winners, including 11 pitchers from last seasons team that posted a 30-26 overall record, advancing to the semifinals of the NE-10 Conference tournament. The 2007 season marked the second straight 30-win season and just the third 30-win season in school history.
Leading the way for the Setters this season will be senior Jack Cawley (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep). Cawley is coming off of a career year in which he started in all 54 games played on the season, posting a team-high .359 (74-for-206) batting average, to go with a team-best 14 doubles, three triples and three homeruns, driving in 27 RBI's and scoring a team-high 43 runs. Cawley also posted a .500 slugging percentage and a .440 on base percentage, while swiping 32 bases out of 34 attempts. He was also solid on defense with a .984 fielding percentage. Cawley received various honors last season being named to the 2007 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Northeast All-Region Second Team, the 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Baseball All-Conference First Team, the 2007 Daktronics Baseball All-Northeast Region Second Team and the 2007 American Baseball Coaches of America (ACBA)/Rawlings Division II Northeast Regional First Team. Cawley will look to fill the void left by the departure of Matt Arburr, who was selected in the 17th round (532nd overall) of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Saint Louis Cardinals.
On the mound, Dustin Corbett (Vestal, NY/Vestal) will look to build upon his solid junior season that saw him post a 6-5 record with 3.32 ERA in 14 appearances, 12 starts. In 81.1 innings of work, Corbett surrendered 79 hits, 30 earned runs and 35 walks, while striking out 67 batters. Corbett was named to the 2007 NE-10 All-Conference Third Team for his efforts.
The Setters kick-off their 2008 campaign with a three game weekend series set for Saturday and Sunday, March 1st and 2nd in Petersburg, VA as Pace will take on regional rival Saint Thomas Aquinas College. Pace's home opener will take place on Tuesday, March 4th, as the Setters will play host to non-conference foe Post University with a scheduled start time of 3:00 p.m.
2008 Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team Points 2008 Record
1. Franklin Pierce (13) 169 49-11
2. Bryant 153 35-24
3. UMass Lowell 136 33-20
4. Pace 129 30-26
5. Southern Connecticut 123 19-30
6. Stonehill 90 21-24
7. Bentley 80 22-29
8. Merrimack 66 16-26
9. Assumption 62 18-26
10. Saint Rose 49 16-29
11. Southern New Hampshire 47 13-19
12. Saint Anselm 45 9-29
13. American International 34 9-31
(First place votes in parentheses)