Hampden-Sydney Baseball

BASEBALL TIGERS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL

SALEM, VA (February 8, 2008)—Hampden-Sydney’s baseball team was picked to finish third in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in 2008 according to the preseason coaches poll as announced by the conference office. The third-place selection follows a tie for first-place in the ODAC regular season standings with a 13-5 conference record and an appearance in the conference tournament championship game in 2007.

The Tigers will be led by fifth-year coach Jeff Kinne, the 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. The Tigers return six starters to their lineup, including top hitters Josh Michael (Front Royal, VA/Warren), Ben Brawley (Leesburg, VA/Loudoun) and Luke Swiney (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin). The pitching staff also returns two starters in Daniel Hadra (Mechanicsville, VA/Atlee) and Robbie Bailey (Richmond, VA/Hermitage).

Virginia Wesleyan College was picked to finish first, receiving four first-place votes, while defending conference champion, Bridgewater, finished in a close second-place with two first place votes. The third-place Tigers received three first-place votes, while fifth-place Randolph-Macon received one first-place vote. The complete ODAC poll is as follows:

1. Virginia Wesleyan (4)

2. Bridgewater (2)

3. Hampden-Sydney (3)

4. Lynchburg

5. Randolph-Macon (1)

6. Washington and Lee

7. Guilford

8. Roanoke

9. Eastern Mennonite

10. Emory and Henry

-www.hsc.edu/athletics-