Millersville, Pa. - The National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) has Millersville University ranked fifth in the country in its preseason poll.
Millersville, the reigning Atlantic Region champs, is also ranked first in the region and shortstop Mike August was named second team preseason All-America.
Millersville, which went 44-12 in 2011, returns 18 total players including five starters and four of its top five starting pitchers. The Marauders ended last season ranked No. 7 but jumped to No. 5 and also received one first-place vote. Francis Marion (41-16) received the top ranking and was followed by Barry (40-17), Central Missouri (49-10) and Grand Valley State (52-5).
In the Atlantic Region Top 10, Millersville received eight of nine first-place votes to claim the top spot. Mercyhurst, the defending PSAC Champion, received one first-place vote and was slated No. 2. Seton Hill was ranked third and was followed by Slippery Rock, East Stroudsburg, California, Concord, West Chester, Winston-Salem State and West Virginia State.
The Marauders open the 2012 season on Feb. 11 against the region's No. 9 team Winston-Salem State.
One of the key players returning for Millersville is August, a senior, who was the program's first All-American in 11 years when he landed on the NCBWA All-America Third Team in 2011. August was named to the preseason second team and was joined by Kutztown's Shayne Houck and Mercyhurst's Zac Blair as PSAC representatives. Senior pitcher Mike McMonagle was named honorable mention after posting a 9-1 record and 1.79 ERA last season.
The Marauders were also well represented on the preseason All-Atlantic Region teams. August and McMonagle landed on the first team and was joined by senior pitcher Brooks Rothschild, who led the Marauders with 10 wins a year ago. Third baseman Zach Stone was chosen to the second team. Stone is coming off a season in which he hit .357 and led Millersville in on base percentage (.434) and RBIs (46).
Catcher Ryan Chesler and right fielder Chris Edgar was named all-region honorable mention. Chesler hit .263 with 15 doubles and a .376 on base percentage in 2011. Edgar batted .344 and drove in 35 runs.
Information used in this story was provided by Millersville University.
