Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Team Picked to Finish in Fifth Place in East
1/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Baseball Team Picked to Finish in Fifth Place in East
1/27/2003
CLEVELAND ? The Marshall baseball team was selected to finish in fifth place of the Mid-American Conference?s East Division in 2003, the result of the league?s head coaches preseason vote. Defending MAC tournament champion Kent State is favored to win the East Division, while Bowling Green, last year?s East winner, was picked to win the West Division in its first year of competition in the western circuit.
Marshall received 30 total points through the voting process, tabbed to finish ahead of Buffalo (17) for last place in the East. Akron (31) edged out the Thundering Herd for fourth place, with Ohio (57) slated for third and Miami (60) behind the Golden Flashes for second place.
Kent State, the winner of the last two MAC tournament titles, is the unanimous choice to win the East Division and is also favored to win the 2003 tournament. The No. 31 nationally ranked Golden Flashes travel to Marshall for a four-game series from April 18-20.
Eastern Michigan received more first-place votes (6) than Bowling Green (4), but the Falcons collected more overall points, 79-73. Bowling Green returns five starters and nine pitchers, including MAC Player of the Year Kelly Hunt.
Marshall, 17-35 in 2002, opens the new season on Feb. 14, in Macon, Ga., to take on the Mercer University Bears.
2003 MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division
1. Kent State (13)..........78
2. Miami....................60
3. Ohio.....................57
4. Akron....................31
5. Marshall.................30
6. Buffalo..................17
West Division
1. Bowling Green (4)........79
2. Eastern Michigan (6).....73
3. Central Michigan (2).....57
4. Ball State...............56
5. Western Michigan (1).....53
6. Northern Illinois........24
7. Toledo...................22
Tournament Winner
Kent State..................10
Ohio.........................1
Miami........................1
Note: First-place votes in parentheses; one coach did not pick a tournament champion.
