The University of Maine baseball team, defending America East Tournament champion, has been chosen second in the league’s preseason coaches poll.
Stony Brook, 2011 regular-season titlist, has been selected to win the conference.
Stony Brook received four first-place votes and 24 points overall. Maine earned the other two first-place votes and 22 points.
They were followed by Albany (15 points), Binghamton (14), Hartford (10) and Maryland-Baltimore County (5).
Maine returns seven starters and six 2011 America East Second Team selections, including all four infielders and two pitchers.
The infielders are first baseman Justin Leisenheimer (.309 average, 8 homers, 25 RBIs), second baseman Troy Black (.363, 19 RBIs), shortstop Michael Fransoso (.318, 33 RBIs, 43 runs scored) and third baseman Alex Calbick (.280, 5 homers, 30 RBIs).
The pitchers are Jeffrey Gibbs (8-5, 3.42 ERA) and reliever Shaun Coughlin (3-1, 2.37, 2 saves).
Maine opens its season with a three-game series at Clemson (S.C.) on Feb. 24-26. Former Black Bear football and baseball star Jack Leggett is the head coach at Clemson.
When Gibbs isn’t pitching this team going to have to score a lot of runs. Is Bazdanes going to finally reach his potential for once? If he’s their #2, then I’m going to go and do a #1. ;) :)