WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT: USA South releases preseason coaches polls for spring sports

Fayetteville, NC - The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its preseason coaches polls for baseball, tennis, golf, and softball.  North Carolina Wesleyan's two highest picks were in baseball and men's tennis, where the Battling Bishops were tabbed second behind Christopher Newport in each. In baseball, Charlie Long's squad received one first place vote, while in men's tennis, Dominic Modise's team earned two first place nods. Men's golf, softball, and women's tennis received sixth, seventh, and ninth place billings, respectively.

In baseball, Wesleyan finished second in the balloting with 29 points behind CNU's 36.  The Bishops, who turned in runner-up finishes in both the 2008 regular season and conference tournament, return 18 players from last year's squad, including seven pitchers and five position starters. 

Leading the returners are seniors Ben Moore (8-2 record, 3.20 ERA), Justin Batts (.397 avg., 50 RBI), Travis Beausoleil (.290 avg., .990 fld), and Jonathan Shearon (4-1 record, 1.68 ERA).  All four were All-Conference selections in 2008 after helping the Battling Bishops to a 28-14-1 overall record and a 9-3 league mark.

In men's tennis, Wesleyan earned two first place nods for the first time in recent memory, tallying 28 points in the poll to finish behind CNU with 34. The respect earned by the Bishops is directly reflective of last season's 9-8 overall record and 4-2 conference mark. Wesleyan returns four players from that squad, including USA South Rookie of the Year Antii Saari.  Saari turned in a 13-3 singles record last season and finished 2008 with a #17 regional ranking.

Wesleyan's second place billing is also reflective of its successful fall season that saw Saari team with freshman Alexey Rumyantsev to earn a #15 doubles ranking in the ITA's South Atlantic Region.  In addition to Rumyantsev (Moscow, Russia), this season's roster also boasts 11 other international newcomers.

In men's golf, head coach Mark Cole's Bishops received 12 votes to finish sixth among seven teams, while perennial powerhouse Methodist University earned top honors with 36 points. The Bishops, who are looking to improve on last season's sixth place finish in the conference tournament, return sophomores Cole Brantner and Todd Smith to help accomplish that goal. Brantner recorded an 83.4 stroke average this fall and picked up his first top-10 finish (Ford's Colony Fall Challenge).

Brantner and Smith are joined by newcomers Mike Emerson, Karson Mott, Luke Oakley, Andrew Smith, and Johannes Soini. Soini is the Bishops' first Swedish-born player and led all freshman this fall with an 84.0 stroke average.

In softball, head coach John Brackett's squad was tabbed seventh among 10 teams, earning 39 total points. CNU received eight first place votes to finish on top with 79 points. The Bishops will have a tough task replacing four-time All-Conference performers Ashlee Bass and Libby Fulford, but Brackett hopes to find their replacements among 11 talented newcomers.

Heading up this year's returners are seniors Whitney Moshier and Payton Gordon. Moshier was a Second Team All-Conference performer in 2008 after batting .311 with 20 RBI and nine stolen bases, while Gordon batted .255 last season and turned in a .969 fielding percentage in the outfield.

Finally, Modise hopes to turn around a women's tennis program that failed to enter the win column last season. His Bishops finished ninth in the poll to tie with Mary Baldwin, while Methodist University was picked first with 79 points. Leading this year's squad will be sophomore Jaime Galasso, who earned Second Team All-Conference honors last season as the Bishops' #1 seed. Galasso had an 11-9 singles mark as a freshman, including a 5-4 record in the USA South.

She is joined by returners Ashley Ball, Leila Heinonen, Meghan Herd, Charis Nkunda, and Juliana Richardson.  All six players will benefit from the experience gained last season, while Modise has added four athletic newcomers to this year's squad.

Baseball will officially kick off the spring season this coming Saturday, February 7th, when the Bishops host a doubleheader with Eastern Mennonite at 11:00 a.m. at Bauer Field. Next up, women's tennis will open up on February 13th at Salem College followed by the men on February 28th in Atlanta, GA. Softball's season opener is slated for March 6th at Virginia Wesleyan's annual tournament.

The Sports Information Office will provide live webcasts and live in-game statistics of this season's spring events whenever possible. As always, up-to-date news and scores will be available via the Bishops' official athletics website: www.ncwc.edu/athletics.

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