Northeastern University is the preseason favorite to repeat as the conference baseball champion this year, according to a vote of the head coaches. The Huskies received four of a possible eight first-place votes and 59 points overall. University of Maine was picked to finish second, garnering four first-place votes as well with 57 points. Coaches' Poll.
Stony Brook University was third with 46 points as University of Vermont followed with 39 points. University at Albany (27) and league newcomer UMBC (27) were knotted for the fifth spot, with Binghamton University (18) and Hartford (15) rounding out the poll.
The top four teams in the conference will advance to the America East Championship, held at Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine on May 27-29, with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
The Huskies (27-24 overall, 12-10 in America East) won their third America East title last year, their first since 1997. Northeastern advanced to the NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge, La. after routing Stony Brook, 11-0, in the America East Championship game. The NCAA appearance was the Huskies' third in program history.
Head Coach Neil McPhee enters his 19th season at the helm of the Huskies and returns two all-conference selections from a year ago, while only losing three players from last season's championship team. Junior third baseman Tim Bush, a second-team choice, was second in the conference in hitting (.353) last season and led NU in RBIs (36) and slugging percentage (.540), while posting a .950 fielding percentage. Chris Emanuele, a second-team and all-rookie selection, started all 51 games in the outfield as a freshman last season and was named to the All-Region team at the NCAA Regionals. He led Northeastern during the 2003 campaign in runs scored (36) and hits (59). The ace of McPhee's pitching staff is expected to be senior Justin Hedrick. The 6-3 right-handed pitcher led America East in strikeouts per game (11.44) last year, while posting 7-2 record with a 3.47 earned run average.
Maine (38-18, 17-7 in America East) returns two all-conference selections and two all-rookie members from last season, highlighted by 2003 America East Rookie of the Year sophomore pitcher Greg Norton. In his freshman campaign, the 6-3 right-handed pitcher compiled a 7-1 record with a 2.97 ERA. Senior outfielder Simon Williams, a first-team selection, tallied just one error in the field through 44 games played last season (.982 fielding percentage). Aaron Izaryk, a junior catcher, was a second-team pick that posted an impressive .995 fielding percentage as he started 52 of 56 games. Izaryk also hit .310 with a team-best 36 walks for a .428 on-base percentage. A sophomore outfielder, Ryan Quintal hit .340 on the season earning him a spot on the all-rookie team as well.
The Seawolves posted their best mark last season in America East play (33-21, 15-9) since joining the conference in baseball for the 2002 season. Stony Brook knocked off Maine in the conference championship for the second consecutive season before losing in the championship game to Northeastern. Junior shortstop Matt Devins, a second-teamer, returns to anchor the infield. Devins hit .307 during his sophomore season, while posting the most doubles (20) in the league. An all-rookie selection Matt Restivo will look to improve upon his successful freshman season this year. Restivo made a league-best 24 appearances and recorded the most saves in the conference (4), while posting a 3.34 ERA and a 6-4 record.
The 2003 Coach of the Year Bill Currier leads a Vermont team that returns 17 letterwinners from last year’s squad that went 32-14, won UVM’s
first-ever America East regular season championship and set a new school record for victories. Eight of the nine regulars in the batting order are
back, as well as four of the top seven pitchers. The 2003 America East Player of the Year, Bobby Tewksbary returns as the top Catamount. Tewksbary, a shortstop, led the league in hitting (.357), had a .561 slugging percentage, 11 doubles, five homers and 30 RBI. Also back is First Team All-Conference first baseman Barry Chamberland who was third in the conference in hitting at .346, second in homers with 11 and led the Catamounts with 41 RBI.
An Albany team that missed the four-team America East Championship by just two games last season returns 22 letterwinners and all nine starters from a year ago. The Great Danes, still a young team with 18 underclassmen on their roster, will look to seniors Dan Schoonmaker and Steve Emmerthal, both second-team all-conference selections, to lead the club. UA also returns all-rookie selection Kyle Thomas.
UMBC enters its first season of America East baseball after finishing fourth overall in the Northeast Conference a season ago. The Retrievers will return Kevin Brooks who hit .356 last year, along with Jay Long and Zach Clark who hit .325 and .314 respectively. The Retrievers also return starter Eric Butkiewicz who had a 3.95 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 2003.
Binghamton, which finished seventh in the America East standings a year ago, returns first-team outfielder T.J. Kowalchuck and second-team outfielder Joe Costello. Kowalchuck hit .298 and drove in 41 runs, while compiling a .543 slugging percentage for the Bearcats in 2003. Costello banged out a .313 average to lead the Bearcats.
Hartford finished sixth in the 2003 conference standings. Head coach Harvey Shapiro will return two top hitters in junior outfielder Josh Topp and junior first baseman Ryan Cuscovitch, who was a first-team selection as a freshman in 2002. Both Topp and Cuscovitch tied for sixth in the conference in hitting last year, each sporting a .333 batting average.