In a preseason poll of the eight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball coaches, Adrian College has been tabbed to finish first overall in the MIAA preseason poll.
The Bulldogs, who tallied 49 points from their seven first-place votes, are seeking to extend their MIAA record to 12 conference championships in a row.
Adrian was also predicted to finish first in the 2020 MIAA preseason poll before the regular season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic just nine games into the schedule.
Adrian, the 2019 MIAA regular season and tournament champion, finished its last full season with a 37-9 overall record and a 24-4 MIAA first-place mark.
Hope received the remaining first-place vote and landed second with 43 points. Alma and Kalamazoo tied-for-third with 30 points each.
Trine (25 points) edged Alma (23 points) for the No. 5 slot, while Calvin (17 points) and Olivet (7 points) rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Adrian represented the MIAA in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 for the 13 time in program history. The Bulldogs return 2019 MIAA Pitcher of the Year Maxwell Denny (9-0, 2.10 ERA, 8.25 K/9, 60 IP) and 2019 MIAA Position Player of the Year Gunner Rainey (.411/.452/.519, 20 2B, 50 RBI).
Adrian will also look to the following 2019 All-MIAA players: Brady Wood (First Team–.353/.426/.479, 2 HR, 47 RBI), Mo Hanley (First Team–5-1, 2.49 ERA, 10.42 K/9, 61.1 IP), Thomas Miller (First Team–.382/.439/.538, 4 HR, 50 RBI) and Brandon Cooper (Second Team–.393/.456/.640, 6 HR, 34 RBI).
The team this spring also features former all-region and -conference pitcher Pierce Banks (8-2, 3.67 ERA, 8.78 K/9, 68.2 IP in 2019) who started out of the gate last season with a 2-0 record, 0.93 earned-run average and 27 strikeouts in 19.1 innings of work.
Banks enters 2021 as the Bulldogs active career leader (plus current place all-time) in earned-run average (3.21, 12th), lowest batting average against (.244, 8th), victories (25-5, 4th) and strikeouts (221, 4th).
MIAA competition is slated to begin on Friday, March 26th. The 2021 MIAA Baseball Tournament will be held Wednesday-Saturday, May 12-16, with Adrian claiming seven of the previous eight tournament events. The winner will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
This article was written using a press release and information generated by Adrian College’s sports information department. It is nearly entirely a repost of the original press release. For more high school, college, and pro sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
