CAA release

RICHMOND, Va. – After sliding safely into the CAA top five last season with a 26-29 (9-12 CAA) record, the Northeastern baseball team is projected to finish fifth this year in the final standings, according to the 2015 preseason coaches' poll released by the conference on Wednesday.
 
NU received 37 overall points, positioning the Huskies just six points behind fourth-place Elon (43), which will be competing in its inaugural season as a member of the CAA. College of Charleston, ranked No. 25 in Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll, was picked by the league's coaches to defend its 2014 league crown, taking home eight out of a possible eight first-place votes and 64 overall points. In the NCAA tournament last year, the Cougars became the fourth No. 4 seed in history to advance to the Super Regionals, but fell short of reaching the College World Series after dropping a pair of 1-0 decisions to No. 2 Texas Tech.
 
UNCW earned Charleston's first-place vote (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and 52 overall points, slotting the Seahawks second in the CAA coaches' poll and one point ahead of third-place William & Mary (51). Delaware (29), Hofstra (19), James Madison (19), and Towson (10) round out the final four spots.
 
Northeastern was projected to finish fifth prior to the start of the 2014 season and went on to crack the top-five in the CAA for the first time since 2009.
 
Head coach Mike Glavine begins his first season with the Huskies this year, after serving as Northeastern's assistant coach the previous eight seasons. Glavine, a 1995 NU graduate, joins Herbert Gallagher (1938-42, 1946-55), John Connelly (1956-81), and Neil McPhee (1986-2014) as former Husky players who have gone on to coach at Northeastern.
 
Several key players are returning to the Huskies this year, including 2014 All-CAA Third Team members Michael Foster and Dustin Hunt. Foster (INF/RHP), Hunt (RHP), and teammate Rob Fonseca (1B) all received 2015 Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention recognition.
 
Senior pitcher Nick Berger and junior catcher Josh Treff will captain NU through a challenging 2015 schedule. The Huskies open the season on Friday, Feb. 13, in San Antonio, Texas, for the first of a three-game weekend set against Incarnate Word.

2015 CAA Preseason Coaches' Poll

Rank	Team	Points (First-place votes)
1	College of Charleston	64 (8)
2	UNCW	52 (1)
3	William & Mary	51
4	Elon	43
5	Northeastern	37
6	Delaware	29
7	Hofstra	19
	James Madison	19
9	Towson	10

2015 Preseason All-CAA Baseball Team

Player	School	Class	Position	Hometown
Ryan Hissey	William & Mary	Jr.	C	West Chester, Pa.
Corey Dick	UNCW	Sr.	1B	Albemarle, N.C.
Zach Lopes	Delaware	Sr.	2B	Wilmington, Del.
Chad Carroll	James Madison	Jr.	SS	Oakton, Va.
Carl Wise	College of Charleston	Jr.	3B	Lexington, S.C.
Norm Donkin	Delaware	Sr.	OF	Folsom, Pa.
Joe Giacchino	Delaware	Sr.	OF	West Chester, Pa.
Casey Golden	UNCW	So.	OF	Siler City, N.C.
Kevin Husum	James Madison	Sr.	OF	Panama City, Fla.
Casey Jones	Elon	Sr.	UT	Midlothian, Va.
Charley Gould	William & Mary	Jr.	DH	Lake Forest, Ill.
Jason Inghram	William & Mary	Sr.	SP	Chesapeake, Va.
Bailey Ober	College of Charleston	So.	SP	Huntersville, N.C.
Joseph Gaouette	William & Mary	Jr.	RP	Reston, Va.

CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Casey Jones, Elon

Honorable Mention: Rob Fonseca, 1B, Northeastern; Blake Butler, 2B, College of Charleston; Michael Foster, INF/RP, Northeastern; Peter Bowles, SS, Towson; Dalton Rouleau, SS, Hofstra; Morgan Phillips, OF, College of Charleston; Luke Dunlap, OF/DH, UNCW; Lucas Bakker, SP, Elon; Taylor Clarke, SP, College of Charleston; Dustin Hunt, SP, Northeastern