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Set to play its inaugural season as an associate member of the Northeast Conference, the Coppin State’s baseball team was picked to finish sixth in the NEC Preseason Poll which was announced by the league office on Friday morning.

Selected by the league’s head coaches, Central Connecticut State received six first place votes to top the poll, followed closely by defending champion Long Island University with four first place votes. Following the Blue Devils and Sharks are Fairleigh Dickinson, Merrimack and Wagner, just before the Eagles. Picked seventh is Delaware State with Sacred Heart, Norfolk State, Maryland Eastern Shore and Stonehill rounding out the poll.

Coppin is coming off a historic 2022 season which featured its first MEAC Championship since 1995 and its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance.  Recording a school-record 24 wins, the Eagles took a loss to East Carolina before falling just short against 2016 National Champion Coastal Carolina in the Greenville Regional.

The Eagles return its entire starting infield and pitching rotation from last season which includes 2022 MEAC Pitcher of the Year and NCBWA All-American Jordan Hamberg.  Also back are First Team All-MEAC performers Mike Dorcean (catcher), Sebastien Sarabia (first base), Corey Miley (second base) and Brian Nicolas (third base) along with 2022 MEAC Rookie of the Year Josh Hankins at shortstop.

Tim Ruffino, who is a 2019 graduate of Bowling Green School, is a pitcher for Coppin State University.

Last year, Ruffino posted a 4-2 record with a 3.66 earned run average.

Ruffino will be a redshirt junior this season.

CSU opens the season at home for a three-game series against Saint Peter’s on February 17-19 at Joe Cannon Stadium. The Eagles also host Mount St. Mary’s on February 21 before traveling to the West Coast to take on 18^th-ranked Oregon State (Baseball America) on February 24-26.

Coppin welcomes Wagner to ‘The Joe’ on March 10-12 for its first-ever NEC series.