TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology baseball team has been picked to finish third in the
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference this season, in a
preseason poll of league coaches released today.
Rose-Hulman finished third in the HCAC last season and qualified for the league tournament after qualifying for the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The Fightin' Engineers finished 27-16 last season and have a record of 121-59 since 2008.
The Fightin' Engineers received 76 poll points to tie Manchester College for third place in the poll. The top four finishers will qualify for the HCAC Baseball Tournament in May.
Franklin College earned the top spot with 94 points and seven first-place votes. Anderson University was selected to finish second with 79 points and two first-place votes.
Transylvania was selected fifth in the poll with 63 points, followed by Bluffton at 47. Hanover, Earlham and Defiance round out the poll.
Offensively, Rose-Hulman returns six offensive starters and the top starting pitcher from a staff that helped the team finish 16-9 in conference play along with 27 wins last season. The team returns 15 total letter winners this season.
Rose-Hulman opens the season against Farmingdale State on Saturday Feb. 25 as part of the team's Spring Trip to Florida.