University of Connecticut Athletics
Baseball Predicted to Finish Third in BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
12/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 30, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The University of Connecticut baseball team was selected third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday. The Huskies received 94 votes and finished behind preseason-favorite Louisville and second-place USF. Outfielder George Springer was one of four unanimous selections to the 2010 Preseason All-BIG EAST team. It is the sixth-consecutive time a UConn player has been named to the preseason team and the first unanimous selection in the past six years.
In addition, the prediction of a third-place finish is the highest during head coach Jim Penders' tenure since 2003. The team was previously was selected to finish as high as fifth with Penders at the helm. He guided the team its second BIG EAST Championship game appearance in the past three seasons in 2009.
Springer, the 2009 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, looks build upon an outstanding freshman campaign that saw him hit .360 with 16 homers an a team-best 57 RBIs.
Last season, UConn concluded the year with a 36-247 overall record and a 14-13 mark in BIG EAST. The Huskies start the year at the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge Feb. 26-28 with their first game against Northwestern at the Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla.
2010 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll
| 1. | Louisville (9) | 119 |
| 2. | USF (3) | 113 |
| 3. | Connecticut | 94 |
| 4. | St. John's | 87 |
| 5. | Notre Dame | 84 |
| 6. | West Virginia | 79 |
| 7. | Cincinnati | 53 |
| 8. | Rutgers | 49 |
| 9. | Pittsburgh | 44 |
| 10 | Seton Hall | 32 |
| 11. | Villanova | 23 |
| 12. | Georgetown | 15 |
Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year: Jedd Gyorko, Jr., SS, West Virginia
Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year: Randy Fontanez, Jr., RHP, USF
2009 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
| Pos. | Name, Class, School | Key 2009 Statistics |
| P | Randy Fontanez, Jr., USF* | 7-3, 3.09 ERA, 99.0 IP, 57 K, 24 BB, .250 OBA |
| P | Jarryd Summers, Jr., West Virginia | 7-3, 4.56 ERA, 94.2 IP, 64 K, 36 BB, .252 OBA |
| P | Tony Zych, So., Louisville | 6-2, 3.25 ERA, 2 SV, 44.1 IP, 31 K, 10 BB, .235 OBA |
| C | Erick Fernandez, Jr., Georgetown | .349, 5 HR, 28 RBI |
| C | Jeff Arnold, Sr., Louisville | .246, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 13 SB |
| 1B | Andrew Clark, Sr., Louisville* | .350, 9 HR, 55 RBI |
| 2B | Adam Duvall, Sr., Louisville | .328, 11HR, 51 RBI, 12 SB |
| SS | Jedd Gryoko, Jr., West Virginia* | .421, 8 HR, 58 RBi |
| 3B | Dan DiBartolomeo, Jr., West Virginia | .439, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 5 SB |
| OF | George Springer, So., Connecticut* | .358, 16 HR, 57 RBI, 12 SB |
| OF | Stewart Ijames, So., Louisville | .349, 8 HR, 39 RBI, (2008) |
| OF | Jimmy Parque, Jr., St. John's | .360, 5 HR, 61 RBI |
| OF | Junior Carlin, Jr., USF | .384, 0 HR, 27 RBI |
| DH | Matt Szczur, So., Villanova | .346, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 18 SB |
| * - | unanimous selection |
