Bethany Baseball Selected Seventh in 2016 Preseason Coaches' Poll
Feb. 12 – GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Bethany College baseball team and 26th-year Head Coach, Rick Carver, have been selected seventh in the 2016 Presidents' Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced the PAC on Friday morning.
The preseason favorite in the baseball poll was Washington & Jefferson College, who just edged Thomas More College by one point, earning 75 while tallying three, first-place votes. The Saints, who earned four first-place votes, finished in second with 74 total points.
Rounding out the top five included Thiel College in third (60 points – one first-place vote) followed by Waynesburg in fourth (57 points – one first-place vote) and Saint Vincent College in fifth (36 points).
Following Westminster, who earned sixth-place with 32 points, the Bison came in seventh (31 points), followed by Geneva and Grove City who tied for eighth.
Along with the preseason poll, a list of players to watch was announced. The Bison on the list included senior Ryan Bisi (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe), junior pitchers Joe Giles (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) and Cody Gross (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) and junior short stop Zack Miller (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin).
Bisi, the lone returning All-PAC performer for the Bison, earned honorable mention status following his junior campaign. Bisi hit .349 for the Green & White a season ago, collecting 29 hits and 11 RBI. He also started five games on the mound, posting an ERA of 5.33.
Both Giles and Gross had productive seasons on the mound before injuries shortened their seasons in 2015. Gross finished the year with a 1-1 record in five starts, posting a 2.63 ERA and striking out 27 in 27.1 innings. Giles pitched just nine innings on the year, holding down a 1-1 record with a 4.00 ERA In three appearances.
Zack Miller will look to return to his 2014 form in the 2016 campaign. He earned all-conference honors as a freshman, hitting .307 with 20 RBIs and a pair of home runs. He will be the returning leader in RBIs for the Green & White, having amassed 35 over the past two seasons.
Bethany will open the 2016 season with their annual spring trip to Fort Pierce, Florida where they will play eight games. The first double header of the year is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, against the University of Northwestern (Minn.).
The Green & White will open their home slate of games while unveiling the new renovations to Bethany Field on March 16 in a nine-inning game with La Roche College. That matchup is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.
