(02-26-08)
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – Adelphi University has been chosen as the preseason favorite in the 2008 East Coast Conference baseball poll, as voted upon by the conference coaches, while the University of New Haven was picked to finish fourth. UNH's Michael Moras was selected to the ECC Preseason All-Conference team.
Adelphi earned a perfect 100 points in the poll, with all 10 first place votes. They outdistanced C.W. Post, which garnered 81 points for second place.
University of New Haven was picked to finish fourth, but the ECC's coaches expect a tight race for third place as the Chargers were selected just one point behind Dowling College (75 points to 74).
Picked fifth was University of Bridgeport (67), followed by Concordia College (41), St. Thomas Aquinas College (39), Molloy College (38), Mercy College (18) and Queens College (17).
Adelphi posted a 35-17 overall mark last season, including a 21-6 mark in ECC play, winning both the regular season and tournament titles and qualifying for the NCAA Northeast regional tournament.
Moras, who was a First Team All-ECC selection last season at catcher, was picked to the Preseason All-ECC squad for UNH. He was selected to the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) South Division All-Star Team this summer. In 2007, he ranked 2nd nationally, led UNH and led the East Coast Conference with 70 RBI's in 46 games (1.52 per game), breaking UNH’s single-season record. He tied an NCAA record with two grand slams in a win at Assumption, knocking in 12 RBI's that game, one shy of the NCAA record. Moras hit in 37 of 46 games, including 25 multi-hit games, and reached base in 42 of 46 contests. Defensively, Moras threw out 17 of 36 base runners and handled a pitching staff with a 4.46 ERA and 320 strike outs.
Adelphi senior outfielder Mike Testani was the coaches’ pick as preseason Player of the Year. Testani hit .406 last season with seven home runs and 55 RBI's, and slugged .620 with a 1.880 on-base percentage. The 2007 ECC Player of the Year went on to earn NCBWA Honorable Mention All-American honors, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region and was a NCAA Division II Northeast Region All-Tournament selection.
Fellow Panther and junior Bobby Lanigan was named as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Lanigan posted a 7-2 mark in 12 starts with a 3.17 ERA and registered 94 strikeouts against 37 walks on the way to Second Team ECC and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors.
Joining those three on the Preseason All-Conference first team were Adelphi's Rob DeGennaro and Chris Weidlein; Riley Shuckerow of Bridgeport; Keith Karlson of C.W. Post; Kevin Reese, Frank Intagliatta and Chris Caputo of Dowling; Andrew Scavuzzo of Molloy; and Vinny Malzahn of St. Thomas Aquinas.
2008 ECC Baseball Preseason Poll
(First place votes in parentheses)
School, Points, 2007 Record (ECC)
Adelphi (10), 100, 35-17 (21-6)
C.W. Post, 81, 30-19 (17-10)
Dowling, 75, 24-20 (17-10)
New Haven, 74, 28-18 (16-11)
Bridgeport, 67, 21-14 (18-9)
Concordia, 41, 20-23 (14-13)
St. Thomas Aquinas, 39, 16-26 (13-14)
Molloy, 38, 21-26 (11-16)
Mercy, 18, 3-40 (3-24)
Queens, 17, 7-28 (5-22)
Preseason All Conference Team
First Team
Bobby Lanigan (2), Jr., P, Adelphi, Staten Island, N.Y.
Riley Shuckerow (1), Jr., P, Bridgeport, Milford, Conn.
Keith Karlson (1), Sr., P, C.W. Post, Farmingdale, N.Y.
Michael Moras (1), Sr., C, New Haven, Orange, Conn.
Vinny Malzahn, So., 1B, STAC, Port Jervis, N.Y.
Rob DeGennaro, Sr., 2B, Adelphi, Hicksville, N.Y.
Kevin Reese (1), Sr., SS, Dowling, Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
Chris Weidlein, So., 3B, Adelphi, Merrick, N.Y.
Frank Intagliatta, So., OF, Dowling, Franklin Square, N.Y.
Mike Testani (1) (P), Sr., OF, Adelphi, Williston Park, N.Y.
Andrew Scavuzzo (3), Sr., OF, Molloy, Kings Park, N.Y.
Chris Caputo (1) Sr., DH, Dowling, West Islip, N.Y.
Preseason Player of the Year: Mike Testani, Adelphi
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Bobby Lanigan, Adelphi
(1) First Team 2007
(2) Second Team 2007
(3) Third Team 2007
(P) Player of the Year, 2007
