ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Daniel Webster College, the 2010 New England Collegiate Conference Co-Champions, has been chosen as the preseason favorite to capture the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the NECC’s head baseball coaches.
Seven of the nine NECC members sponsor baseball. Lesley University is a first year program in the NECC.
The Daniel Webster Eagles (21-17, 11-4 NECC) received six of the
seven first-place votes in the 2011 NECC preseason poll. Head coach
J.P. Pyne, two-time NECC Coach of the
Year, returns twenty players six of whom were
starters. Pyne returns for his 3rd season with a 32-66 record. The
Hawks will be led by four All-NECC members including sophomore
Darrik Marstalller (Spofford, N.H.), sophomore
Elliot Kilgore (Milford, N.H.), senior
Bruce Brown (Lowell, Mass.) and junior
Kory Kiro (Goffstown, N.H.). Marstaller was the
2010 NECC Rookie of the Year and was also named a NEIBA
All-Star.
Becker College, 2009 NECC Champions, received 50 points to notch the second-place spot. Mitchell College, 2010 NECC Co-Champions were third with 39 points. The Mariners earned one first place nod.
Elms College was voted fourth with 33 points, while Southern Vermont College was not far behind in 5th with 27 points. Rounding out the poll was Newbury College at 6th with 18 points and newcomer Lesley University in the final spot with seven points.
Teams received ten points for every first place vote received, eight points for second place votes, six points for third place votes, four for fourth place votes down to one point for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.
2011 NECC PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
TEAM, POINTS (1st Place votes)
Daniel Webster, 64 (6)
Becker, 50
Mitchell, 39 (1)
Elms, 33
Southern Vermont, 27
Newbury, 18
Lesley, 7