W&J edges Thomas More for top spot on PAC preseason baseball poll 2/12/2016 10:31:28 AM GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released the results of the 2016 PAC Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll, along with its Players to Watch list, on Friday. Washington & Jefferson College and 14th-year head coach Jeff Mountain were picked as the preseason favorite to claim this year's championship tournament title. The annual preseason poll collects votes from each of the league's nine head coaches. W&J, winner of last season's championship tournament, totaled three first-place votes and 75 points. The Presidents finished the 2015 season 29-17 and won the program's 10th PAC title after posting a 17-5 victory over top-seeded Thomas More College in the tournament’s if-necessary game. It was the first championship tournament to be determined by the if-necessary game since 2010, when second-seeded Thomas More claimed a 2-1 win over top-seeded W&J in Washington, Pennsylvania for its first-ever PAC title. The first number four seed to claim the league title since Grove City College in 2008, W&J earned the PAC’s automatic qualifying bid and hosted the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional at Ross Memorial Park last May. Thomas More, the 2015 regular-season league champion, collected four first-place votes and 74 points to finish second. Thiel College was picked third, finishing with one first-place vote and 60 points. Waynesburg University collected the final first-place vote and totaled 57 points to finish fourth. Saint Vincent College finished fifth in the poll with 36 points, and was followed by Westminster College (32) in sixth and Bethany College (31) in seventh. Geneva College (20) and Grove City College (20) tied for eighth. The 2016 PAC Championship Tournament is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14. The top seed coming out of the regular season will host the league's four-team, double-elimination tournament. 2016 PAC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll School (first-place votes) Points 2015 Record (PAC) 1. Washington & Jefferson College (3) 75 29-17 (16-8) 2. Thomas More College (4) 74 30-12 (18-6) 3. Thiel College (1) 60 28-14 (17-7) 4. Waynesburg University (1) 57 21-20-1 (17-7) 5. Saint Vincent College 36 18-20 (10-14) 6. Westminster College 32 18-21 (11-13) 7. Bethany College 31 10-26 (5-19) T-8. Geneva College 20 13-27 (5-19) T-8. Grove City College 20 14-22 (9-15) 2016 PAC Baseball Players to Watch Bethany Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Ryan Bisi Sr. 2B/P Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe Joe Giles Jr. P McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox Cody Gross Jr. P West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Zack Miller Jr. SS West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Geneva Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School JC Ackerman Sr. 2B Lewis Center, Ohio/Worthington Christian Zach Ackerman Sr. P/3B Lewis Center, Ohio/Worthington Christian Andy Santana Sr. SS San Pedro de Marcoris, DR/Desert Christian Aaron Witman Sr. C Greencastle, Pa./Shalom Christian Academy Grove City Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School David Laylock Jr. SS Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine-Richland Matt Waugaman Jr. 1B Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny Saint Vincent Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Aaron Burger Sr. OF Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area Eddie Kilkeary So. OF Latrobe, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic Dylan Pietrantoni So. P/1B Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Ben Webb Sr. IF/P Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic Thiel Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Matt Elko Sr. P/OF Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire Bryan Mitchell Jr. OF Padua, Ohio/Padua Franciscan Trent Mosely Sr. OF Cleveland, Ohio/Brush Trent Smith Sr. 1B Franklin, Pa./Franklin Thomas More Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Tim Baldrick Sr. P Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder Zach Fardo Sr. OF Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart Brandon Humphrey Sr. P Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle Donovan Pogue Sr. 1B Sharonville, Ohio/St. Xavier W&J Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Riley Groves Jr. P Louisville, Ohio/Louisville Derek Helbing Jr. C Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial Michael Ruffing Sr. SS Brunswick, Ohio/St. Ignatius Nick Vento Jr. OF Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional Waynesburg Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Matt Bensinger Sr. OF Shoemakersville, Pa./Hamburg Area Luke Carter Jr. P/OF Saegertown, Pa./Saegertown Jonathon Kletzli Jr. 1B Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley Brian Resnik Sr. P Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown Westminster Name Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School Kyle Borton Sr. P Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge Sean Coyne Jr. IF New Castle, Pa./New Castle Nate McMaster Jr. P Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls -top-