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News Release

UMBC BASEBALL SELECTED SIXTH IN AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL

2/16/2006

John Jancuska's Retrievers were selected to finish sixth in the preason coaches' poll.

The UMBC baseball team was selected to finish sixth out of seven teams in the America East Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.  University of Maine, the defending America East Champion, is the preseason favorite to repeat as the conference champs this year, according to a vote of the league's head coaches. The Black Bears received six of a possible seven first-place votes and 47 points overall.  The poll was release on Thursday, February 16, 2006.

UMBC (16-34, 6-15) returns seven of eight position starters while losing three pitchers from its staff last year. Head coach John Jancuska, with 602 career wins, ranks 45th among NCAA Division I active coaches for career wins and will look to Zach Clark and Jon Pavlis to lead the Retriever pitching staff. Top returning hitter Steve Russo (.311 Avg.) leads a Retriever offense that finished last season ranked fifth in team batting average with .227 and fourth in runs scored with 257.

Stony Brook University was picked to finish second, garnering one first-place vote as well as 38 points. University of Vermont was just three points behind Stony Brook with 35 points as Binghamton University followed with 29 points. University at Albany (24), UMBC (16) and University of Hartford (9) round out the seven-team poll.