FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Frostburg State baseball team has been ranked fourth in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) preseason poll, which was released on Wednesday morning.
The Bobcats received 31 points in the voting, five behind Penn State Harrisburg who earned 36 points to round out the conference's top three.
Salisbury, the conference champion for the past three years, is projected to finish at the top of the standings, as the Sea Gulls received 48 points and six out of eight first-place votes. Christopher Newport is projected to finish in second, earning 43 points in the poll and the last two remaining first-place votes. Both Salisbury and Christopher Newport reached the NCAA Playoffs last season with the Sea Gulls losing in the third round of the New York Regional and Christopher Newport falling in the South Regional Championship.
York (Pa.) was selected to finish fifth, followed by Mary Washington, Southern Virginia and St. Mary's (Md.).
Last season, Frostburg posted a 23-14 record, 9-9 in conference play and added an appearance in the CAC Tournament.
The Bobcats had 11 seniors graduate last spring, but 12th-year head coach Guy Robinson returns some key pieces to his club. Nick Furhmann (.299, 27 RBI) and Jason Paredes (.277, 17 runs) return to lead the lineup at the plate, while Daniel Ryczek (8 app., 12 Ks) and Mike Livingston (6 svs.) return on the mound. Fuhrmann finished near the top of the team with 27 RBI and 35 hits, while Livingston finished second in the CAC with six saves to go along with three wins and a 3.65 ERA.
Frostburg State opens its season next Friday, February 15, at 12:00 p.m. against Rutgers-Newark at Fayetteville Swampdogs Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C.
2019 CAC Baseball Preseason Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
- Salisbury (6) – 48 points
- Christopher Newport (2) – 43 points
- Penn State Harrisburg – 36 points
- Frostburg State – 31 points
- York – 22 points
- Mary Washington – 21 points
- Southern Virginia – 12 points
- St. Mary's – 11 points
