The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Picked Fourth in MAC Preseason Poll
February 21 | Baseball
The University of Akron baseball team was picked to finish
fourth in the MAC East Division in a vote of conference coaches
released by the league office Thursday. Defending MAC Tournament
Champion Kent State and West Division regular season runner-up
Central Michigan were picked as favorites in their respective
divisions.
The Zips, who open the 2008 campaign against West Virginia in
Winston-Salem, N.C. Friday, return 20 letterwinners - including
seven position players and three starting pitchers - from a team
that finished 23-24 overall and 8-16 in league play last spring.
Headlining the list of returners are seniors Kurt
Davidson (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) and Doug
McNulty (Homer City, Pa./Homer Center), who comprised one of
the MAC's top hitting tandems a year ago.
Davidson, who enters the season as
the Zips' all-time home run leader, was a first-team all-conference
selection following his junior season last spring in a vote by
league coaches while McNulty, who finished sixth in the MAC with a
career-high .356 batting average, was named to the second team.
The Chippewas were followed by Northern Illinois in the West,
while Western Michigan was picked to finish third. Toledo was
selected to finish in fourth place, while Eastern Michigan and new
head coach Jake Boss and Ball State followed.
Miami was picked to finish second in the East Division after
finishing last season with a 32-24 overall record (16-9 MAC). In
the remaining places in the East Division were Ohio, Akron, Buffalo
and Bowling Green.
The MAC baseball season begins tomorrow with a full slate of
games. Conference play will begin on Friday, March 21 and the
season will culminate with the conference tournament, which takes
place May 21-24.
2008 MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division:
1. Kent State
2. Miami
3. Ohio
4. Akron
5. Buffalo
6. Bowling Green
West Division:
1. Central Michigan
2. Northern Illinois
3. Western Michigan
4. Toledo
5. Eastern Michigan
6. Ball State
Tournament Champion: Kent State (10 votes), Miami
(1), WMU (1)
