Baseball | 2/2/2012 10:48:00 AM

    PRINCETON, W.Va. – Coming off a strong finish to the 2011 season that included a WVIAC Tournament bid, the West Liberty University baseball team is ranked 5^th in the WVIAC North for 2012 by the conference coaches in their annual preseason poll.
     With 579 career wins in his pocket, Hilltopper head man Bo McConnaughy is relying on a strong recruiting class to help ease the loss of four graduated seniors who earned All-WVIAC honorable mention laurels a year ago.
    Nevertheless, the veteran head coach heads into his 30^th season on the hilltop with a strong nucleus returning from last year's Hilltopper team, which posted an 11-17 record in conference play.
    Speedy sophomore outfielder Mike Johnson is the top returning hitter for the Black and Gold. The Western Pennsylvania native made his first collegiate season a memorable one by hitting .323 with a team-high .446 on-base percentage.
    Sophomore Mike Reef heads the WLU mound staff. Reef posted a team-best 4.39 ERA last spring while completing 5 of his 10 starts and giving up just 68 hits in a team-high 67.2 innings.
    Seton Hill was an overwhelming favorite to win the North Division with 12 first-place votes and 101 points. Pitt-Johnstown (83) was second followed by Wheeling Jesuit (61), Shepherd (59), West Liberty (44), Alderson-Broaddus (40) and Fairmont State (32).
    West Virginia State got 108 points in the balloting to edge out Concord for the top spot in the South Division. Davis & Elkins – the coaches' choice to win this year's WVIAC Tournament – was picked just third in its own division with 92 points. West Virginia Wesleyan (82), Charleston (59), Ohio Valley (42), Bluefield State (36) and first-year program Glenville State (20) round out the South Division poll.
    The Hilltoppers are scheduled to open the season on March 3 with a doubleheader at Alderson-Broaddus.
 
BASEBALL
WVIAC Coaches' Preseason Poll
North Division
Team (first-place votes)                Pts
1. Seton Hill (12)                            101
2. Pitt-Johnstown (2)                      83
3. Wheeling Jesuit                          61
4. Shepherd                                     59
5. WEST LIBERTY                            44
6. Alderson-Broaddus                     40
7. Fairmont State (1)                      32
South Division
Team (first-place votes)                Pts
1. W.Va. State (7)                           108
2. Concord (4)                                 101
3. Davis & Elkins (4)                        92
4. W.Va. Wesleyan                         82
5. Charleston                                   59
6. Ohio Valley                                 42
7. Bluefield State                            36
8. Glenville State                            20