NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – First-year head coach Chris Chernisky and the Niagara University baseball team open the 2005 season this weekend, traveling to East Tennessee State University for a three-game series at Cardinal Park.
Picked second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason poll, Niagara looks to build upon last year’s 27-win season.
Leading the Purple Eagles into this weekend’s season-opener is senior shortstop Reed Eastley (Brandon, Man.). Leading the conference with 57 RBIs last season, Eastley was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year last week, one of four Niagara players named to the preseason All-MAAC team.
Also named to the preseason all-conference team were juniors Andrew MacNevin (St. Catharines, P.E.I.), Jeff Vincent (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and James Avery (Moose Jaw, Sask.).
Avery, who finished last season with a 3.86 ERA and a 3-1 record, gets the start for the Purple Eagles in Game 1 against the Buccaneers. Niagara will follow-up with sophomores Dan Griffin (Schenectady, N.Y.) and Josh Sawatzky (Altona, Man.) in Games 2 and 3, respectively.
Competing in the Southern Conference, East Tennessee State University is headed by sixth-year head coach Tony Skole.
The Buccaneers finished last season with a 28-30 record, including a record of 19-10 at Cardinal Park.
Named to the preseason All-Southern Conference team for ETSU was senior catcher Caleb Moore and junior first baseman Blake Church.
Moore led the nation last season with a .455 batting average, completing one of the best seasons in Southern Conference history. The reigning SoCon Player of the Year also led the conference with a .752 slugging percentage, with 59 runs scored and 45 RBIs.
Church, a second team All-SoCon first baseman last season, finished last season with a .353 batting average, leading the Buccaneers with 53 RBIs. He also finished the season with 40 runs scored and eight home runs.
Leading the ETSU pitching staff are juniors Jeremy Hall and Steven Calicutt.
Hall led the team with nine wins last season, finishing with a 5.95 ERA in 104.1 innings pitched. Calicut started 16 games last season, picking up five wins.
Niagara went 0-2 against teams from the Southern Conference last season, losing both games of a doubleheader against Wofford, March 1, 2004.
