PITMAN--After claiming the 2017 NJAC Championship and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament’s New York Regional en route to a 32-13 overall record, The College of New Jersey has been selected as the 2018 preseason baseball favorite in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Lions will be seeking their 10th conference crown since 1960.
TCNJ was selected to finish first on 9-of-the-10 ballots cast by the league head coaches. The 2017 Lions won the NJAC regular season title with a league-best 15-3 conference record before coming from behind in the NJAC Tournament Championship Game to defeat Ramapo, 7-6. Led by the 2017 NJAC Coach of the Year in Dean Glus, TCNJ has produced an overall record of 247-164-1 during his 11 seasons in Ewing. The defending NJAC Champion Lions return five all-conference performers from their NCAA Tournament squad, including senior pitcher Brandon Zachary, senior outfielder Mike Follet, the 2017 NJAC Fireman of the Year in senior pitcher Matt Curry, the 2017 NJAC Pitcher of the Year in senior Joe Cirillo, and the 2017 NJAC Co-Player of the Year in senior shortstop Zachary Shindler.
Rowan University, which earned an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament’s South Regional after finishing third in the conference regular season with a 10-8 NJAC mark, was selected to finish second. Fourth-year head coach Mike Dickson has guided the Profs to a 78-50 overall record during his tenure at his alma mater, including a mark of 29-18 in 2017. Rowan returns one all-conference player from its 2017 NCAA Tournament squad in senior outfielder Shawn Leydon.
Ramapo College, which advanced to the 2017 NJAC Tournament Championship Game en route to a 26-16 overall record, was selected to place third and received one first-place vote. The 2017 Roadrunners finished as the NJAC regular season runner-up with a 15-3 mark in league play. First-year interim head coach Travis Zilg will inherit a Ramapo squad which returns four 2017 all-conference players, including senior pitcher Jerry D’Andrea, senior first baseman Connor Walsh, senior second baseman Bobby Shannon, and senior shortstop Austin Unglaub.
Kean University, under the direction of the longest-tenured NJAC head coach in Neil Ioviero, was selected to place fourth. The 2017 Cougars finished fifth in the NJAC regular season race en route to a 23-19 record overall. Under Ioviero’s leadership, Kean has produced a mark of 639-258-2 during his 20 seasons in Union. The Cougars return a trio of all-conference players from their 2017 squad, including senior infielder Steve Santigate, senior first baseman Matt Krupa, and the 2017 NJAC Rookie of the Year in sophomore outfielder Frank LoGiudice.
William Paterson University, which earned a berth in the 2017 NJAC Tournament en route to a 15-22-2 overall record, was selected to place fifth. Eleventh-year head coach Mike Lauterhahn has guided his alma mater to an overall record of 209-176-5 during his tenure in Wayne. The Pioneers return one all-conference player from their 2017 squad in senior outfielder Anthony Hoagland.
Montclair State University, which finished 15-22 overall in 2017, was selected to place sixth. Fifth-year head coach Jared Holowaty has guided MSU to an overall record of 77-78. Montclair State returns a pair of all-conference players from its 2017 team in senior pitcher Connor Lindsay and sophomore third baseman Joe Norton.
Rutgers University-Newark, which earned a berth in the 2017 NJAC Tournament after finishing fourth in the conference season with a 9-9 NJAC record, was selected to finish seventh. Under the leadership of 17th-year head coach Mark Rizzi, the Scarlet Raiders have garnered 272 victories, giving Rizzi 282 total wins on the collegiate level. Rutgers-Newark returns five all-conference players from its 2017 squad which finished 24-15-1 overall, including sophomore second baseman JC Ball, senior third baseman Brian Boulineau, senior catcher Justin Marks, senior outfielder Anthony Perconte and junior shortstop Ryan Zucker.
The coaches’ dark horse selection, Rutgers University-Camden was selected to place eighth. Sixth-year head coach Dennis Barth has guided the Scarlet Raptors to an overall record of 118-86-1, including a mark of 15-23 in 2017. Rutgers-Camden returns one all-conference player from the 2017 season in junior pitcher Ian Scheidemann.
Stockton University, which finished 15-19 overall in 2017, was selected to place ninth. Fourth-year head coach Scott Baker has guided the Ospreys to 41 victories during his three seasons in Galloway, giving Baker 207 wins on the collegiate level. Stockton returns a pair of all-conference performers from the 2017 season in junior third baseman JJ Swentkowski and sophomore second baseman Mike DeSenzo.
New Jersey City University, led by seventh-year head coach Jerry Smith, was selected to place 10th. The 2017 Gothic Knights finished 18-18 overall, giving Smith 93 victories during his tenure in Jersey City. NJCU returns one all-conference player from the 2017 season in sophomore third baseman Lenin Gomez.
The 61st season of NJAC baseball will get underway on Friday, February 16 with both Kean and Rutgers-Newark competing in non-conference action.
NJAC conference play will begin on Saturday, March 31 with all 10 league teams in doubleheader action. The 2018 league schedule will again feature a format in which all 10 league teams will play single games every Thursday and Friday and doubleheaders every Saturday during the conference season. The 18-game league schedule also features teams facing the same opponent on Thursday and Friday at alternating sites.
The top six conference regular season finishers will advance to the double-elimination 2018 NJAC Championship Tournament.
First round games will be hosted by higher seeds at campus sites on Tuesday, May 1. All six participating teams will then travel to Kean University’s Jim Hynes Stadium for the remainder of the conference tournament on Friday, May 4, Saturday, May 5, and Sunday, May 6.
The winner of the 2018 NJAC Tournament receives the conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
2018 NJAC Baseball
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. The College of New Jersey (9)
2. Rowan
3. Ramapo (1)
4. Kean
5. William Paterson
6. Montclair State
7. Rutgers-Newark
8. Rutgers-Camden (dark horse)
9. Stockton
10. New Jersey City
(first place votes in parenthesis)