2015 America East Preseason Coaches Poll

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BOSTON, Mass. — Winners of three of the last four regular-season crowns, the Stony Brook Seawolves are the 2015 America East baseball preseason favorites as the full preseason coaches’ poll was unveiled Tuesday. The Seawolves received five first-place votes and 35 points in a vote of the league’s seven head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own team.

The University of Maine was picked second with 28 points, followed by reigning back-to-back America East tournament champions the Binghamton Bearcats, who took third with 25 points and one first-place vote. the University of Hartford, coming off the best season in program DI history, was picked fourth with 22 points and a first-place vote. UMass Lowell, coming off a third-place finish in 2014, was selected fifth with 19 points. UMBC (10 points) and the University at Albany (eight points) rounded out the poll.

The top-four teams in the conference will advance to the America East Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., home of the UMass Lowell River Hawks and Boston Red Sox Single-A affliate Lowell Spinners, May 21-23.. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Baseball Championship.

1. Stony Brook Seawolves (35-18, 4-1 AE)

• Has won 3 of the last 4 America East regular-season titles with the team’s last tournament title coming in 2012. That also included a trip to the College World Series.
• Return six position players including All-America East shortstop Cole Peragine, second-team outfielder Jack Parenty and freshman All-American Casey Baker.
• Pitching staff will be led by second-team selection Tyler Honahan and America East Rookie of the Year Cameron Stone.
• Open the season Feb. 13 with a three-game set at Nicholls State.

2. Maine Black Bears (24-29, 10-11 AE)

• Has made five-straight trips to the America East tournament after finishing fifth in the standings a year ago.
• Brings back Scott Heath who was selected to the All-Conference first team as a designated hitter and second team as a first baseman. He led the team in batting at .361, driving in 29 runs and slugging four homers.
• Open the season Feb. 13 against the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in Winter Haven, Fla.

3. Binghamton Bearcats (25-26, 11-12 AE)

• Have won back-to-back America East tournament titles becoming the first AE team to win two-straight titles since Maine in 2005 and 2006.
• Return many impact players from last year’s title run including outfielder Jake Thomas, an All-Conference First Team selection, and starting pitcher Jack Rogalla, a second-team pick.
• Also return Eddie Posavec, an All-Rookie selection who hit the walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning of the America East title game.
• Start the season Feb. 13 at Auburn.

4. Hartford Hawks (31-23, 16-7 AE)

• Reached the America East tournament for the first time since 1996 last year, setting a program Division I record with 31 wins and finished second in the conference at 16-7.
• Freshman class was listed as one of the best in the North/Midwest according to Baseball America’s annual rankings.
• Returns All-Conference Second Team selections Ryan Lukach and David MacKinnon, and will have to fill the void left by departing America East Pitcher of the Year, Sean Newcomb, who was a first round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft.
• Start the season at the Duke Tournament vs. Duke on Feb. 20.

5. UMass Lowell River Hawks (20-22, 10-10 AE)

• Turned some heads in its first season of Division I baseball, finishing third in the conference standings and winning 20 games.
• Return All-Conference First Team selections Ian Strom and Matt Sanchez, along with second team pick Danny Mendick.
• Start the season Feb. 20 at Georgia State.

6. UMBC Retrievers (7-17, 7-29 AE)

• Picked sixth and look to qualify for the America East tournament for the first time since 2008.
• Return All-Rookie selections Hunter Dolshun and Andrew Casali while also bringing in junior college transfers Kevin Little and Conrad Wozniak.Tim Kelly (Virginia Tech) and Conno Stasky (Temple) come to the team with previous DI experience.
• Start the season Feb. 20 at North Carolina A&T.

7. Albany Great Danes (12-33, 7-17 AE)

• Finished seventh last season after making the America East tournament the previous five seasons.
• Matt Hinchy, an All-Rookie pick in 2013, and Craig Lepre will look to lead the Great Danes back to the America East tournament.
• Open against NC State, Georgia Tech, Florida International and Coastal Carolina Feb. 20-22 in the Caravelle Resort’s Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.