ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon baseball team has been picked to finish seventh in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division, according to the league’s preseason coaches poll released Friday afternoon.
Four teams received first-place votes in a tight Western Division race. Slippery Rock is the preseason favorite to win the division, receiving two first-place votes. Mercyhurst (1 first-place vote), California (Pa.) (2 first-place votes), Indiana (Pa.) (2 first-place votes), Lock Haven, Clarion and Gannon rounded out the predictions.
Kutztown was the preseason favorite in the Eastern Division, capturing three first-place votes. West Chester (3 first-place votes), Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, Millersville, Mansfield (1 first-place vote) and Bloomsburg completed the Eastern Division poll.
Gannon returns 15 letterwinners and six position starters from last year’s 10-36 squad. The Golden Knights were 4-20 in PSAC action last season. The program has increased its victory total in each of the last two seasons under third-year head coach Nate Cocolin.
Offensively, Gannon’s top two hitters return in 2010.
Kolten Hoffman (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) led the team in average (.336), hits (49), home runs (3), RBI (31) and total bases (66) last season.
Greg Radwan (Farnham, N.Y./St. Francis) was second on the team with a .326 average. The senior scored 19 runs and drove in 20.
Five of Gannon’s top six pitchers also return this season.
Evan Euler (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills),
Drew Rojek (Lake View, N.Y./Frontier),
Brian Gunnell (Falconer, N.Y./Falconer),
Peter Grouios (Toronto, Ontario/East York Collegiate Institute) and Radwan posted five of the team’s six lowest earned run averages.
Gannon opens the 2010 season Saturday, February 20 against East Stroudsburg at the Cal Ripken Baseball Academy Tournament in Aberdeen, Maryland. The doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.
For the complete PSAC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll, please
click here.