(Posted February 14, 2005)

Huntingdon, PA - After earning its first Commonwealth Conference Championship since 1990 last season, the Juniata College baseball team has been picked to finish second in the conference in the 2004 Commonwealth Conference Preseason Poll as voted by the eight conference head coaches.

Juniata earned 43 points in the poll and picked up one first-place vote. After posting the top regular season record in the Commonwealth last year, Messiah received 48 points and six first-place votes to top the preseason poll. Rounding out the top half of the poll are 2004 Commonwealth postseason participants Elizabethtown (37 points, one first-place vote) in third place and Moravian (28 points) in fourth position.

After finishing the regular season with a 14-7 record in conference play last season, Juniata defeated Moravian, Messiah and then Moravian again in the Commonwealth postseason to earn the Commonwealth Conference Championship. Juniata went on to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.

Juniata returns 15 players from last season's team, including four returning All-Conference players. Senior Jayme Fye (Philipsburg-Osceola/Philipsburg) and juniors David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville), Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) and Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) all earned All-Conference laurels last season and should contend for that consideration again this season. The Eagles also return seven regulars from its everyday lineup along with three members of the starting pitching rotation.

Juniata is scheduled to begin the 2005 season February 19 with a doubleheader at Eastern Mennonite.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.