FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Defending Christopher Newport along with Salisbury tied for the top spot in the 2020 Capital Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason Poll. The Captains and Sea Gulls both totaled three first-place votes and 23 points to outdistance third place York (17 points) in a vote among the conference head coaches. 

Southern Virginia finished fourth in the voting with 11 points, followed by Mary Washington and St. Mary's who each tied for fifth place with eight points.

The CAC Tournament will once again feature the two-pod format as introduced two seasons ago, with all six programs competing in the postseason event spread across two weekends. The opening weekend (May 1-2) will feature a pair of three-team, double-elimination pods hosted by the top two seeds. The winners of those pods will square off the following weekend (May 8-9) at the highest remaining seeds' field.

The 2020 season begins this weekend as two teams get underway, while conference play begins on March 27th. 

2020 CAC Baseball Preseason Poll

Below is a brief preview of each team entering the 2020 campaign: 

T1) SALISBURY and Head Coach Troy Brohawn (6th season) will look to win back the conference crown in 2020 after falling short in the opening weekend of the CAC tournament last season. The Sea Gulls return all but two members from last year's starting lineup, including three-time All-CAC First Teamer Justin Meekins (OF) and All-Region SP/UTIL Jimmy Adkins. Salisbury also returns its top four starting pitchers from 2019 in Adkins, Clayton Dwyer, Zach Amisano, and Xavier Marmol.

Number of returning starters:

• Lineup: 7 
  • Meekins, Justin | Sr. | CF
  • Hyder, Cameron | So. | RF
  • Haas, Brad | Sr. | LF
  • Padaway, Matt | Sr. | C
  • Monaghan, Jimmy | Sr. | DH
  • Adkins, Jimmy | Jr. | SS
  • Bonesteel, Brandon | Sr. | 3B
• Rotation: 4 
  • Dwyer, Clayton | Sr. | RHP
  • Adkins, Jimmy | Jr. | RHP
  • Amisano, Zach | Sr. | RHP
  • Marmol, Xavier | So. | LHP

Notable 2019 Statistics:

• CAC ERA – Marmol, X. 3.00 (2^nd), Adkins, J. 3.14 (3^rd), Dwyer, C. 3.74 (5^th)
• CAC Wins – Marmol, X 9 (T-1^st), Dwyer, C. 8 (T-2^nd)
• CAC Strikeouts – Dwyer, C 84 (1^st)
• CAC Doubles – Monaghan, J. 14 (T-2^nd)
• CAC Triples – Hyder, C. 5 (T-2^nd)
• CAC FPCT – Hyder, C 1.000 (101 TC) (T-1^st)
• Meekins, J. – Needs 54 runs to set CAC career runs record

Returning All-CAC performers:

• Adkins, J. (SP) – First Team ('19)
• Meekins, J. (OF) – First Team ('17, '18, '19)
• Padeway, M. (C) – First Team ('18)
• Haas, B. (OF) – Second Team ('19)
• Marmol, X. (SP)– Second Team ('19) 

Returning All-Region performers:

D3baseball.com South All-Region

• Adkins, J. (SP) – Second Team
• Meekins, J. (OF) – Third Team

ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region

• Adkins, J. (UTIL) – Second Team

T1) CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT is ranked in both the D3baseball.com and ABCA Preseason National Polls ahead of the 2020 season. The 20th season under head coach John Harvell will see the Captains return pre-season All-American outfielder Trey Hicks after hitting 12 home runs with a .329 average last season. He was one of three starters returning to a record-breaking lineup that saw Christopher Newport top 500 runs for the first time in program history and post one of the finest offensive seasons in the history of NCAA Division III baseball. Also returning to the lineup are Conner Clark, one of the nation's leading base stealers, and Eric O'Brien, a backstop who ranked fourth on the team with a .372 average last season. On the mound, the Captains return a dominant bullpen that included Tyler Jumper (7-0, 1.71 ERA, 47 K) and Brian Owens (3-2, 1.86 ERA, 49 K), along with all three starting pitchers who made at least 10 starts last year. 

3) The YORK Spartan baseball team returns seven starters and four of their top six pitchers as they look to move up the standings in their final year in the Capital Athletic Conference. 

Head coach Mike Scappa welcomes back CAC Rookie-of-the-Year Austin Denlinger to headline the starting lineup. Denlinger is joined by first baseman Jack Barry, outfielders Jimmy Wiegers and Brandon White, third baseman Luke Turner, second baseman Bailey Doan, and catcher Rob Acierno.

On the mound, Scappa will turn to a group of returners including Brandon Haggerty, Josh Mann, Zac Stoll, Conor Miller and Jake Herr. Haggerty went 4-4 with a 3.91 ERA as a sophomore while Mann went 5-1 with a 4.71 ERA as a freshman. 

The Spartans welcome in a strong recruiting class including a pair of transfers who will have a chance to make an impact on the Spartan squad. 

Number of Returning Starters: 7 (Austin Denlinger, Jack Barry, Jimmy Wiegers, Brandon White, Luke Turner, Bailey Doan, Rob Acierno)

Number of Returning Pitchers:  8 (Josh Mann, Brandon Haggerty, Conor Miller, Zac Stoll, Jake Herr, Zac Stoll, Rory Costello, Andrew Ross) 

Notable Statistics: Brandon White returns as the top Spartan run producer from last year as he hit nine home runs and 51 RBI … Jack Barry added eight home runs and 35 RBI from last year … CAC Rookie of the Year Austin Denlinger hit .358 as a freshman with 45 runs scored, 14 doubles, five triples, two home runs, 28 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. 

Returning All-CAC Performers: Austin Denlinger (2^nd Team, ROY – 2019)

Returning All-Region: Austin Denlinger (ABCA All-South Region, 2^ndTeam – 2019)

Returning All-Americans: None

4) SOUTHERN VIRGINIA features a strong core of returning veteran players for the 2020 baseball season. The Knights will look for immediate impact from All-CAC performer Canon Anderson in centerfield, who hit .363 on the year. He will be joined by returners Brady Lamb and Mitch Tyse with Manny Lara and Dylan Boyce, also seeing time in the outfield.  The Knights infield looks to build off the success found in 2019 with third baseman Bridger Taylor, who led the team with a .364 batting average, eight home runs, and 45 RBI's primed for a solid junior season. Cole Critchfield enters his senior season after leading the team with ten stolen bases, five homers and batting .324. The duo of Ryan Morin and Riley Daniels sure up the middle infield for the Knights. Jonny Soto returns to the mound for Southern Virginia after a 3-3 season while also hitting .351. Daniels, Tyse, and freshmen WilI Parker and Grady Rasmussen also will look to bolster up the pitching staff.

Number of returning starters: 7

Notable statistics: Taylor tied program single-season home run record, Daniels threw programs first no-hitter.

Returning All-CAC performers:
Canon Anderson, Centerfield, All-CAC Second Team

5) MARY WASHINGTON will open a new chapter this season with head coach Kelly Swiney at the helm. The Eagles welcome back second team All-CAC performer, Christian Hague (.395 BA with 7 HR). Other key returners include Garrett Lyons (.305 BA), Nick Bass (.294 BA), David Lambertson (.293 BA), and Norman Holcomb (.263 BA). On the mound Cole Gabrielle, Daniel Osafo, and Chris LeVere look to anchor the pitching staff. Notable newcomers for the Eagles include Jonathan Sedmak, Noah Angstadt, and Brandon Latham.

Number of Returning Position Players: 5

Number of Returning Pitchers: 1

Returning All-CAC Performers:
Christian Hague, OF, 2nd Team in 2018 and 2019

Returning All-Region Performers:
Christian Hague, OF, 2nd Team in 2019

6) The ST. MARY'S COLLEGE OF MARYLAND baseball team heads into their 2020 campaign looking to build off of their eight win season last year. The Seahawks return six bats to their starting lineup  and eight pitchers who made starts on the mound last season. The starting lineup is highlighted by All-CAC Second Team selection Bowen Plagge.

Returning Starting Position Players: 6

Returning Starting Pitchers: 8

Notable Statistics: Bowen Plagge: Ninth in CAC in triples with three, eighth in CAC in stolen bases with 12, 2nd in CAC in batting average (.421), seventh in CAC in on base percentage (.463), 3rd in CAC in slugging percentage (.714), led team in runs with 32, led team in hits with 56, led team in doubles with 12, led team in home runs with seven, led team in RBI with 35.

Returning All-CAC Players: 
Bowen Plagge, C, Second Team