Kent State Selected to Finish Second in the MAC East
1/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CLEVELAND - In a vote of the Mid-American head baseball coaches, Kent State was selected to finish second behind in-state rival Bowling Green in the East Division. In a close vote, the Falcons edged out the Golden Flashes by a 64-61 margin.
Ohio (49) was picked third in the MAC East while Miami (39), Akron (25) and Buffalo (14) round out the division.
Five different teams received a vote to win the MAC Tournament, led by Ball State with five votes. Kent State was second with three votes, followed by Bowling Green with two and Eastern Michigan and Miami with single votes.
Ball State, who won the MAC West crown last season, was selected to repeat as champions by 20 points over the Toledo. Last season against UT, the Golden Flashes took three-of-four close games, including a 1-0 win on Brad Stillings no-hitter (April 10) and a 5-3 victory in the MAC Tournament championship game (May 23).
Kent State finished with an overall record of 43-17 last season and finished third in the conference with a 17-9 record. The Golden Flashes set team season records in runs scored (542), hits (707) and RBI (497), while the pitchers struck out 489 batters.
The Flashes kick off the 2010 campaign Friday, Feb. 19 when they travel to Bowling Green, Ky. to take on Western Kentucky. First pitch for the opener in a three games series is scheduled for 4 p.m. (3 p.m. CST).
2010 MAC Baseball
Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division
1. Bowling Green - 64 points
2. Kent State - 61 points
3. Ohio - 49 points
4. Miami - 39 points
5. Akron - 25 points
6. Buffalo - 14 points
West Division
1. Ball State - 72 points
2. Toledo - 52 points
3. Central Michigan - 44 points
4. Eastern Michigan - 35 points
5. Northern Illinois - 29 points
6. Western Michigan - 21 points
Tournament Champion:
Ball State (5), Kent State (3),
Bowling Green (2), Eastern Michigan and Miami (1)
