ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Southern Vermont College baseball team is just a mere couple of weeks away from beginning its 2018 regular season campaign, and the Mountaineers have their sights set on making it back into the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) playoffs after missing the tournament last year.

On Thursday, the league released the results of its preseason poll with SVC being selected to finish sixth in the standings by coaches from across the Conference.

Southern Vermont will play under first-year head coach Adam Skonieczki who has high hopes for his squad this season.

“We expect to compete day-in and day-out,” said the Mountaineer skipper. “Time will tell what the season holds, but I am very optimistic about the future of this group. I’m really excited to get the season underway; I think we have made some great strides on the pitching side of things with Coach [Tyler] Arthur leading the way. The position players are adapting well to the new offense and appear ready for the start of the year.

“I think our style of play will be an adjustment from what the guys are used to,” Skonieczki continued. “Each day, we try to tackle a different aspect of our offensive and defensive game plan. For myself, I think one of the biggest challenges will be adjusting to focusing on the whole ‘game’ rather than just the hitters and position players.”

SVC went 8-26 in 2017 while posting a 6-10 record in league play. Included in those wins was a pair of victories against Lesley University—the eventual NECC champion.

Skonieczki has 16 players returning from that ‘17 crew while bringing 11 newcomers aboard. Among those coming back to don the Mountaineer uniform is a series of upperclassmen as the SVC roster will be comprised of five seniors and nine juniors.

“We have a good mix of returning players and new guys who will make immediate impacts from the early going,” Skonieczki said about his team. “We feel as though we have great continuity and camaraderie.”

The SVC head coach believes in his team’s ability to make it into the playoffs, but he knows that his guys still have some work to do in order to reach their full potential.

“I think we have to do the little things correctly,” Skonieczki said about getting to the postseason. “When we pay attention to the minor details, we will be able to see the big picture coming together. I think we have some quality baseball players and am excited to see some of the younger guys step into big roles.”

The Mountaineers have 13 non-conference games to get ready for the start of the NECC schedule—the first two of those coming on Saturday, February 17 as a doubleheader at Maryville College in Tennessee. SVC will head to Washington, D.C. the following weekend for Gallaudet University’s Bison Classic, and the team will spend its Spring Break week playing five games in Virginia. Southern Vermont begins league action on Sunday, March 18 with a 12 p.m. Opening Day first pitch against Elms College, and the Mountaineers will honor those five senior players on April 29 in conjunction with a single tilt against Lesley.

2018 NECC Baseball Preseason Poll

1. Mitchell – 34 (4)
2. Lesley – 31 (3)
3. Elms – 24
4. Becker – 22
5. Newbury – 15
6. Southern Vermont – 11
7. Dean – 10

(Parentheses denote first-place votes)

– #LetsGoSVC –