FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — For the first time in America East baseball history, two teams were selected as co-preseason favorites as Binghamton University and Stony Brook University tied atop the 2014 preseason coaches’ poll. Both teams received three first-place votes and 31 points in a vote of the league’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The Bearcats are the reigning America East tournament champions after finishing second in the regular season in 2013. It is the first time since 2009 that Binghamton has been selected as the preseason favorite. For Stony Brook, it is the fourth-straight year the Seawolves have finished atop the preseason coaches’ poll after placing fourth in the regular-season a year ago.
Reigning regular-season champion Maine finished with 28 points to come in third place, while Hartford received one first-place vote and 23 points to come in fourth. Albany (17 points) was in fifth, followed by UMBC (9) and UMass Lowell (7) to round out the seven-team poll.
The four-team America East Championship will take place May 22-24 and if necessary on May 25 at LeLachuer Park in Lowell, Mass. The state-of-the-art park is home to America East member UMass Lowell and Boston Red Sox Single A affiliate Lowell Spinners. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Baseball Championship, where Stony Brook advanced to the College Wolrd Series in 2012.
