The Kent State University baseball team has been selected to finish third in the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division, the conference office announded Thurdsay (Jan. 29). The defending Mid-American Conference regular-season champions begin the season at the Winthrop Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C., Feb. 13-15.
Defending MAC West Division champion Ball State and Miami, last years tournament runner-up, have been chosen by the leagues head coaches to win their respective divisions. The MAC announces only the top three selections in each division. Kent State is slated to finish third after winning the schools seventh MAC regular-season crown. The Golden Flashes, 36-18 overall and 18-4 in the MAC, will have to replace three first-team all-conference selections but do return first-team designated hitter Adam Crowder (.368, 13 HR, 44 RBI) and second-team first baseman Chad Kinyon (.343, 16 HR, 51 RBI). The Golden Flashes return 14 letterwinners, seven position starters and six pitchers from last years squad.
The RedHawks, who have reached the conference title game in five of the past six seasons, have also been tabbed to win the MAC Tournament despite losing three all-MAC performers. Its the fourth time in the last six seasons that Miami has been picked to win the East Division.
Miami returns 19 letterwinners and six pitchers from last years 36-24-1 squad (19-9 in MAC), the teams sixth straight season of 30-plus victories. A pair of second-team all-MAC selections are back in the infield for the RedHawks in infielder Mike Ferris (.360-5 HR-43 RBI) and catcher John Slone (.349-1-33). In addition, the pitching staff is bolstered with the return of Graham Taylor (7-4, 3.83 ERA), last years MAC Freshman of the Year, as well as Sam Shorts (6-3, 4.12), who won six games as a freshman.
Picked behind Miami to finish second in the East is Ohio, which finished third in the East last year with a 15-11 mark while posting a 35-23 overall record. The Bobcats return five starters and nine pitchers, including first-team all-MAC pick Marc Cornell. Cornell (7-3, 3.84) was a fifth round pick by Cincinnati in last years MLB First-Year Player Draft and is rated as the No. 2 senior in the country by Baseball America. Junior catcher Ben Crabtree (.387-10-53), who was a first-team all-MAC utility pick a year ago, led the league in hits (91) and was sixth in hitting.
For the fifth time in six years, Ball State is the conferences preseason pick to claim the West Division race. The Cardinals, coming off their fifth divisional crown after posting a 36-21 overall record and a 17-10 league slate, returns six position starters, three starting pitchers and 18 letterwinners. Second-team all-MAC third baseman Marc Franz (.410-3-33) is the MACs top returning hitter after finishing third in the hitting race in 2003. The Cardinal pitching staff returns five hurlers who won at least three games last season, including Joe Ness (5-1, 4.53) and John Pettibone (3-2, 3.04), who also saved nine games.
Eastern Michigan is tapped for second a year after winning the schools first MAC Tournament in 21 years. The Eagles (31-28, 16-11) have 19 letterwinners and five position starters returning, led by second-team all-conference shortstop Brian Bixler (.322-9-29) and third baseman Derrick Peterson (.377-5-49).
Northern Illinois grabs the third spot in the West, which advanced to the league tournament last season for only the second time in the programs history. The Huskies (34-24, 15-11) improved their win total by 11 games in 2003 and have seven starters and 22 letterwinners back from a squad that finished third in the division. Second-team all-MAC designated hitter Scott Simon (.370-6-40) paced NIU and was ninth in the MAC in hitting. Mike Santoro (.300-15-54) provides the Huskies with some power while the pitching staff has a pair of left-handed hurlers Zach Minor and Joe Piekarz who won six games apiece last season.
Eastern Michigan and Kent State kick off the 57th season of MAC baseball on February 13. The conference season will get underway on March 26.
2004 MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division
1. Miami
2. Ohio
3. Kent State
West Division
1. Ball State
2. Eastern Michigan
3. Northern Illinois
