Full release at Northeast10.org

MANSFIELD, Mass. – Fresh off a program record 39 wins in 2018, the New Haven baseball team has been selected as the 2019 preseason favorite in the Northeast 10 Conference's Southwest Division, as announced on Monday.

The Chargers received 91 points in the poll and eight out of 15 first place votes, edging out Le Moyne (88), Adelphi (69) and Pace (58) in the Southwest Division. Southern New Hampshire was selected as the preseason No. 1 in the Northeast Division, receiving 13 first place votes.

The Chargers are coming off a historic 2018 season that saw them finish 39-12 overall and advance to the NE10 championship finals. The Chargers then earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA East Region Championship tournament where they advanced to the semifinals.

Last week, New Haven was selected third in the 2019 NCBWA East Region rankings. New Haven is returning six position players who made at least 36 starts last season. The team will be challenged right out of the gate to start the season, facing three regionally ranked teams in Wilmington on Feb. 22, and a doubleheader against Felician and Saint Thomas Aquinas on Feb. 23.

New Haven opens up conference play on Wednesday, March 20 against Northeast Division foe Assumption before hosting Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire, the top two teams in the Northeast Division, on March 23 and 24th. New Haven opens up Southwest Division play on March 27 at Pace.

2019 Northeast 10 Preseason Baseball Poll

Northeast Division

1. Southern New Hampshire - 111 (13)
2. Franklin Pierce - 97 (1)
3. Merrimack - 84 (1)
4. Bentley - 74
5. Stonehill - 57
6. Assumption - 50
7. Saint Anselm - 37
8. Saint Michael's - 22

Southwest Division

1. New Haven - 91 (8)
2. Le Moyne - 88 (6)
3. Adelphi - 69 (1)
4. Pace - 58
5. SCSU - 52
6. AIC - 29
7. Saint Rose – 26

() – first place votes