PITMAN --- Kean garnered nine of the 10 possible first-place votes and is favored to win the 2020 NJAC Baseball Championship, based on a preseason vote of the league’s head coaches.
Defending conference champion TCNJ earned one first-place vote and was tabbed to finish second. Defending regular season champion Rowan was picked third, followed by William Paterson and Ramapo in the top five. Rutgers-Newark, dark horse selection Stockton, Montclair State, Rutgers-Camden, and NJCU round out the preseason predictions.
Four NJAC squads are noted in the preseason NCBWA/D3baseball.com poll, including Kean entering the season as the national No. 11 squad. Rowan is ranked No. 24, while TCNJ and Ramapo are receiving votes in the national poll.
Also of note on the national stage is Kean’s Frank LoGiudice, who was named to the NCBWA/D3baseball.com Preseason All-America Team. LoGiudice was an NJAC All-Conference Second Team utility player last season, contributing at the plate while going 8-2 with a 2.36 ERA on the mound for the Cougars.
Twenty-one of last year’s 35 all-conference players return, including five of the nine who earned all-region accolades.
Kean, TCNJ, and Rowan all advanced to their respective regional championship games in last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Lions earned a tournament berth thanks to running to the NJAC title as last year’s No. 4 seed, while regular season champion Rowan and Kean earned at-large berths.
Offense in the NJAC looks to be strong this season, as all four top hitters from last year are back as well as a total of seven of the top 10. Rowan’s Mitch Walker, a First Team honoree last year, led the NJAC in overall hitting with a .444 average. Montclair State’s Peter Cosentino was second in the league with a .440 clip, and TCNJ’s David Cardona III is back after batting .430 last year. Former Roadrunner Philip Mahlik was fourth in batting in his rookie season, going .424; he will suit up in Union this season, so looks to be among the top hitters again.
William Paterson outfielder Steven DiGirolamo returns after batting a healthy .417 last year to rank sixth in the NJAC. Also in the top 10 in hitting last season were fellow Pioneer Steve Yelin (.383) and Kean’s Zachary Marzano (.373).
Other First Team returners include Rowan second baseman Alex Kokos, who sported a .973 fielding percentage and .333 batting clip. Ramapo outfielder Kyle Buser was a First Team pick last season as well; he went .331 with a team-high 35 RBI.
The traditionally strong NJAC pitching will have a bit of a different look this season as four of the six all-conference pitchers from last year graduated. Reigning Pitcher of the Year Kevin Stewart returns on the mound this season, and looks to lead Kean’s pitching staff along with LoGiudice. Stewart went 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA, including 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA against conference opponents during his time at Ramapo. TCNJ’s Peter Nielsen, an All-NJAC honorable mention pick last year, also returns to the mound. Nielsen went 6-1 overall with a 2.47 ERA.
Several other all-conference players return looking to lead their respective squads to improve in the NJAC standings. Rutgers-Newark’s Connor Clare, an honorable mention all-conference pick last season, led the Scarlet Raiders with a .321 average and 22 RBI. Stockton’s Brendan Doherty returns after leading the Ospreys with a .360 clip at the plate along with 40 hits and 12 stolen bases. Rutgers-Camden’s Brett Yurgin, the reigning NJAC Rookie of the Year, was second on the team last year with a .329 average and led the Raptors with 11 stolen bases. NJCU will need to replace the services of all-conference pick Tom Pulcine, who graduated. Juan Pena is the top returning hitter for the Gothic Knights, after going .320 last year. The Gothic Knights also return pitcher Fernando Guerrero, who led the NJAC in overall ERA (1.64).
The 2020 NJAC Baseball Championship is set to begin on Tuesday, April 28, at the campus site of the higher seeded teams. The tournament then shifts to Kean for the weekend portion from May 1-3. The championship game, which determines the NJAC’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament, is slated for Sunday, May 3.
2020 NJAC Baseball Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
- Kean (9)
- The College of NJ (1)
- Rowan
- William Paterson
- Ramapo
- Rutgers-Newark
- Stockton (dark horse)
- Montclair State
- Rutgers-Camden
- New Jersey City