FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference released its preseason coaches polls for baseball, softball and women's tennis Thursday. The NSU baseball team was picked to finish in fifth place this season, while the softball team was tabbed sixth and the tennis team seventh.
The baseball team finished with 41 points in the poll, just one point behind Barry and Lynn, who were picked to finish tied for third. NSU finished its 2013 campaign sixth (30-19, 12-12 SSC) in the conference. The Sharks ended last season on a four-game win streak, and will look to carry the momentum into 2014.
The Sharks' 32-man roster this season is comprised of 17 returners and 15 newcomers, seven of which are freshmen. Of the NSU returners, the team returns two starters from last season,
Brandon Sedell (Jr., Davie, Fla.) and
Angel Navarro (Jr., Miami Lakes, Fla.). Sedell, the team's third baseman, is the team's lone returning first-team All-Sunshine State Conference representative from a year ago and finished third on the team in batting average at .333.
Senior
Mitchell Buerosse (Lighthouse Point, Fla.) will lead a talented pitching staff for the Sharks. Buerosse made a team-high 13 starts last season, earning himself five wins and recording 43 strikeouts. Buerosse also allowed just one home run on the year, the fewest of among starters. The Sharks will begin their campaign on Feb. 1 at home with a doubleheader against Tusculum at 1 p.m.
The softball team received 27 points in the poll, one vote ahead of seventh-place Florida Southern. The Sharks pushed their 2013 season record to 26-25 after going 14-5 in its last 19 contests, including an eight-game winning streak.
Senior
Samira Tanaka (Sao Paulo, Brazil) will return for the 2014 season after finishing in the top 10 in the conference in batting average and being named to the All-SSC second team. Senior
Jennie Von Doellen (Hudson Bay, Canada) will come back to the mound after finishing second in the SSC in strikeouts. Sharks' softball play will open Saturday, Feb. 1, in a road doubleheader against Ave Maria.
Tennis received 24 votes in its poll, just one short of sixth-place Florida Tech, the team they open the season against on Feb. 1 at home. The Sharks return all but one player from last year's young squad. Former All-American
Alexandra Johansson (Jr., Sydney, Australia) and last year's No. 1 singles player
Sabrina Kierberg (So., Berlin, Germany) are likely to lead singles play in the top two flights.
The Sharks hope the experience of its large returning class will pay off early, with NSU playing six of their conference matches over the first eight matches. However, their first five matches will be at home between Feb. 1 and Feb. 22.
Below are the complete polls for baseball, softball and tennis.
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2014 Spring Sunshine State Conference Preseason Polls |
|
Rank - Team, Points (1st-place votes) |
|
Baseball |
Softball |
Tennis |
1 - Tampa, 64 (8)
2 - Florida Tech, 46
T3 - Barry, 42
T3 - Lynn, 42 (1)
5 - Nova Southeastern, 41
6 - Florida Southern, 34
7 - Saint Leo, 31
8 - Rollins, 16
9 - Eckerd, 8 |
1 - Tampa, 58 (3)
2 - Saint Leo, 57 (4)
3 - Rollins, 52 (2)
4 - Barry, 47
5 - Florida Tech, 32
6 - Nova Southeastern, 27
7 - Florida Southern, 26
8 - Lynn, 15
9 - Eckerd, 10 |
1 - Barry, 64 (8)
2 - Lynn, 57 (1)
3 - Rollins, 46
4 - Saint Leo, 45
5 - Florida Southern, 37
6 - Florida Tech, 25
7 - Nova Southeastern, 24
8 - Tampa, 18
9 - Eckerd, 8
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