
For Immediate Release - 1/5/09 - #150
LC Baseball to Start Season as No. 14 in Collegiate Baseball News Preseason Poll
Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll
LYNCHBURG, VA - The Lynchburg College baseball team, coming off its first regional appearance since 1983, has been slotted as the No. 14 team in the country according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll, which was released December 23.
The Hornets, under the direction of 11-year head coach Percy Abell, finished the 2008 season 32-13, which was a school record for wins in a year. LC also ended as the regular season champion in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), posting a 15-3 mark in the league.
Lynchburg returns a wealth of talent on the pitching staff, led by All-American right hander senior Joe Devlin (Ashburn, VA/Broad Run). Seniors Jonathan Nichols (Stafford, VA/North Stafford) and lefthander Connor Thompson (Solomons, MD/Reservoirs) will battle for the No. 2 rotation spot, along with Hampden-Sydney College transfer Bryan Breedlove (Suffolk, VA/Nansemond-Suffolk).
Offensively, the Hornets will have to replace ODAC Player of the Year, Ronnie Labrie (Vinton, VA/Staunton River) and All-State first baseman Jon Crews (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage). Handling that task will be senior second baseman Kyle Bradley (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell), and junior outfielders Cameron Grant (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) and Jeff Taylor (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage).
Cortland State (NY) was tabbed as the top team in the preseason, followed by Chapman (CA), Adrian (MI), Kean (NJ) and Southern Maine. Other notable teams ranked were Johns Hopkins (MD) at No. 7, Salisbury (MD) at No. 11 and Piedmont (GA) at No. 27.
Lynchburg opens it 2009 season with a doubleheader Saturday, February 7 at Greensboro College in Greensboro, NC.
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