Sul Ross dropped two non-conference decisions in opening day play at the annual Texas-Permian Basin Classic in Odessa on Saturday. After a 23-13 loss to Division II Texas-Permian Basin, Sul Ross dropped a 20-8 decision to New Mexico Highlands, another Division II opponent.

In game one, the Lobos edged the Falcons in the hitting category, 19-18 but a 13-run drive in the last three innings by Texas-Permian Basin helped solidify the win for the tournament host. Lobo veterans Javier Arrieta and James Johnson both paced the hitting game with 4 slaps each. Johnson bagged a pair of RBIs and a run in the effort. Sul Ross lit the board first in their first offensive go around as Mickey Apodaca and Arrieta crossed off a left side single by Eric Mata to give Sul Ross a 2-0 advantage.

The Falcons plated four runs in the top half of the second before Sul Ross took the go ahead in the bottom frame as Adrian Zepeda and Zach Denson scored off a single by Chris Rodriguez. Apodaca scored again off the first of two RBIs by Johnson to set the score at 5-4 in favor of Sul Ross after one and a half. Texas-Permian Basin squeezed five more runs across in the third while Denson's single in the bottom half plated Monte Piper and pulled Sully to within three trailing 9-6 heading to the fourth.

The Falcons crossed a run in the top of the fourth before unleashing a 12-run barrage in the final three frames while holding Sul Ross to a seven-run attempted comeback. Jaime Ortega (0-1) was tagged with the loss after just an inning and two-thirds.

Against Highlands, the Cowboys amassed 12 runs over the first three innings of play while holding the Lobos to two. Highlands scored eight more runs over the fourth and fifth innings although Sul Ross made a valiant 6-run assault in the fifth. Thomas Kellner (0-1) shouldered the defeated after two and a third.

At 0-2, Sul Ross will face another Division II foe, Eastern New Mexico, in an outing on Monday at Midland's Citi Bank Park.

In other action: Cal Lutheran (2-0) got an RBI single from senior Nick Pinneri in the bottom of the 12th inning to secure a 5-4 win over Simpson (Calif) on Sunday at Sparky Anderson Field. Occidental (3-0) swept a doubleheader from La Sierra, 8-7 in 11 innings and 11-4 in a regulation seven inning game.

For the second time in as many days Whittier (2-1) rallied from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Division III's No. 2-ranked Chapman in ten innings. In the back end of Saturday's doubleheader at Hart Park, the Poets scored four runs in the top of the ninth and then a run in the 10th to upset the Panthers and take two of three in the season-opening weekend series for both teams.

Chapman (1-2) scored two runs in the first inning and tacked on four more in the fifth to take the six-run lead. Whittier was able to score three runs in the sixth as it opened the inning with four consecutive hits. The Poets added two more runs in the seventh inning to cut into the Panther lead at 7-5 and later took the lead, 9-8, with a four run ninth inning.

Whittier pushed the game winning run across the plate on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Bogart. Bogart's deep fly brought in David Tucci who led off the inning with a double down the right field line. Chapman had the bases loaded in their half of the tenth inning but a fielders choice ground out by Patrick Ohail ended the game.

Andrew Vallejo finished the second game with six RBI as he was 3-for-5 from the plate with one run scored. For the Panthers, John Semel reached base five times, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, including his second home run in as many days. He was a triple shy of the cycle. Anthony Tsui (1-0) earned the win for the Poets as he relieved Kevin Pigott in the ninth inning. Matt Luzar took the loss for Chapman (0-1).

In game one, Jordan Sigman pitched seven innings of four-hit ball for the Panthers to give them an 8-2 win, their first of the season. Sigman struck out six, allowed just two runs and received plenty of run support from the Chapman offense which opened up a 4-2 game with four runs in the fifth. In the inning, sophomores Adam Kordich and Tyler Hadzinsky each had an RBI and scored a run.

In other action Caltech (0-2) dropped a doubleheader to NAIA team Simpson (Calif.) 13-0 and 19-2 to extend its losing streak to 24 games.

By Tim Calderwood for D3baseball.com

Regional previews: New England | New York | Mid Atlantic | South | Mideast | Central | Midwest | West

Adrian will host the Mideast Regional, and fresh off their best season in school history culminating in their first Championship appearance, the Bulldogs garner the sixth slot in the preseason Top 25. A fifth seed in last year's regional, the Bulldogs won't fly under anyone's radar this season. Not far behind Adrian in the polls, No. 8 Heidelberg was the top seeded team in the 2008 regional and set a school record for wins but allowed three ninth inning runs to Adrian to send the Bulldogs to Wisconsin. The 'Berg has made consecutive Regional appearances under Head Coach Matt Palm and will compete to take the next step this spring. After suffering through a rare down season that still put them just one game from returning to the NCAA Regionals, the Marietta Express look to return to the national spotlight with a strong returning core eager to start a new tradition. Coming off of a 29-15 season, almost the entire Thiel team returns including a pair of Preseason All-Americans. Thiel will rise to challenge in the Mideast with their glass slippers in hand. The Fighting Scots continue to find a way to rebuild each season and will look for its sixth straight NCAA appearance, but regular season success has not led to results in the NCAA field and Wooster hasn't found a way to better Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAC the past two seasons. Our pick to advance to the Championship round is Heidelberg as they shake off their playoff disappointment in 2008.

New Faces

Justin Dedmen, Denison - Not quite a new face, Denison named Justin Dedman the head baseball coach after spending the 2007-08 academic year as the interim head coach. A 2005 Denison graduate, Dedman guided the Big Red to a 27-18 record while capturing the program's fourth North Coast Athletic Conference west division crown last season.

Conference Summaries

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC): Rose-Hulman and Transylvania both found themselves in the playoffs in 2008 after finishing third and fourth in the conference respectively. Mt. St. Joseph and Franklin finished first and second with each squad capturing 16 league games. The 2009 race is wide open as Franklin returns 20 letterwinners and every starter from last season's squad. Transylvania boasted its first 30-win team in school history last year and returns four all-conference players. Rose-Hulman brings back seven starters from a team that reached the regionals for the first time in 12 years. While All-American pitcher Michael Matsui is gone, junior All-Region choice Derek Eitel returns after a 9-3 campaign. Mt. St. Joseph boasts the lone conference player to receive preseason accolades as junior pitcher Steve Matre was an honorable mention preseason All-American. Matre had an ERA under 1.00 in his 20 relief appearances last season. With so many experience on all four schools, the conference title will not be decided until the final weekend.

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA): A surprise conference last season that saw two entrants into the NCAA Regionals, the MIAA will have a two team battle again in 2009. No. 6 Adrian advanced to the NCAA Championships but didn't even win the conference. That honor went to Calvin who bested the Bulldogs by a game in the regular season but went two and out at the regional. Calvin returns its entire starting rotation from a squad that boasted a 3.88 ERA last season and adds a 6-7 freshman in addition to a junior college transfer. Adrian returns 22 letterwinners who were part of the championship run including Mideast Player of the Year Bobby Rickstad who went 6-2 on the mound and hit .364 with eight homers and 44 RBI.

Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC): Heidelberg and Marietta highlight a deep conference. Marietta missed the playoffs last season after two straight championship appearances but begin the season ranked 17th with a roster that returns all but one starting position player led by Cameron Cimino who hit .370 last season. T.J. Knowlton was 9-2 on the mound. No. 8 Heidelberg had a lead in the ninth inning of the regional final and begins the season as the second highest ranked team in the region (8th) with eight returning position players and four returning starting pitchers. Shortstop Jason Lash returns after hitting .425 with a team best 47 RBI. Center fielder Jeremy Wentworth was close behind at .420 with a team best 57 runs scored. Muskingum catcher Brock Whiteman was a Second Team Preseason All-American choice after hitting .450 last season with nine homers and 51 RBI. Otterbein won 26 games last season but lost a lot of key contributors. However, power threat Brian Hiscox who belted 14 homers, returns.

North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC): Wooster has made five straight Regional appearances but if there was ever a season to be vulnerable this is it. The Fighting Scots graduated two All-American pitchers and a third, reliever Mark Miller, will attempt to make the difficult transition from reliever to starter. Sean Karpin, who hit .417 last season returns to anchor the offense. Ohio Wesleyan got the best of Wooster in the NCAC Tournament for the second straight season and scored a first round NCAA upset of Ithaca before dropping two straight to be eliminated. The Battling Bishops look for their third straight NCAA appearance. Denison fell to Ohio Wesleyan in the championship series after finishing with the third most wins in school history. The Big Red return seven starters including first baseman Park Smith who hit .412 last year but lose their top two starting pitchers. Kenyon could also sneak into the mix with 11 returning starters.

Presidents Athletic Conference (PrAC): Grove City represented the conference in the regionals last season after winning the conference tournament despite finishing 5-7 and tied for fourth in the conference. Thomas More dropped just one conference game during the season but was eliminated in the conference tournament by No. 21 Thiel, who is the only school in the conference ranked in the preseason poll after not losing a single starter from a 29 win team. Led by preseason All-Americans Chris Dunham and Eric Boylan, the Tomcats have been to the conference championship game each of the past two seasons and finished 8-4 in league play during the 2008 campaign. Dunham hit .411 and set a school record with 15 homers while Boylan hit .418 and established records in runs, doubles, and total bases. The two players each drove in 63 runs to lead the team.

Independents: DePauw competes in the SCAC and won 35 games last season but lost four starting position players. The Tigers do bring their top two hitters back to Matt Walker's lineup in Jack Gavin (.373 in 24 games) and Mike Stout (.373, 9 HR, 40 RBI). Case Western returns six starters from a team that won 13 games led by sophomore Chad Mullins who hit .353 in his first collegiate season and led the team in homers and RBI. Finlandia played just 21 games last season but has a full slate for 2009.

By D3baseball.com staff writers

Regional previews: New England | New York | Mid Atlantic | South | Mideast | Central | Midwest | West

Second ranked Chapman has earned the World Series bid in the previous four seasons and they are almost certain to return to the regional as a Pool B team and favored to capture the 2009 Regional Championship. There will be plenty of competition for Chapman in the wild west. No. 12 Texas-Tyler returns two All-American pitchers and were narrowly shut out of the playoffs last year. 2008 ASC Champion McMurry, who return their top three pitchers, are predicted to repeat as ASC-West champions and looking to keep Texas-Tyler from the ASC automatic bid. Trinity (Texas) lost in the West Regional final and with the return the core of its lineup, could be thinking about a trip to Wisconsin in May. In the West coast conferences, comes our Cinderellas. Redlands returns its all-conference battery and Pacific Lutheran returns their team intact.

New Faces:

John Byington, McMurry - McMurry's baseball program was re-instated by Lee Driggers who has since departed for new challenges at Wheaton (Ill). Associate head coach John Byington, who has been with the McMurry program since 1998, was promoted in September. "[McMurry] is a nice program to inherit," Byington said. "My goal for the program is to grow on that foundation and become a national contender on a yearly basis."

Matt Daily, Menlo - Coach Matt Daily Daily comes to Menlo after serving three years as the Director of Baseball Operations at Division I Santa Clara University. Daily is the fifth head coach since Menlo became a four-year institution.

Jason Hawkins, Occidental - Jason Hawkins enters his first collegiate head coaching position with more than 14 years of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. During his four years at Redlands, Hawkins helped coach the nationally ranked NCAA Division III Bulldogs to a 2006 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, the program’s first in 15 years.

Bobby Mesker, Sul Ross - Bobby Mesker replaces former coach Mike Pallanez who retired at the end of the 2008 campaign after seven years with the Lobo program. Mesker was a Gold Glove All-conference 2B who graduated from Sul Ross in 2004.

Conference Summaries

American Southwest Conference (ASC): The ASC-East has stars in the preseason All-American teams as Brett Booher, Texas-Tyler (11-1, 2.06 ERA, 84 K's) and Bruce Cameron, Ozarks (.410, 14 HR, 5-1, 3.35 ERA) return for another season. The Texas-Tyler Patriots spent most of the 2008 season in the Top 25, but ran into Concordia-Texas in the ASC Tourney who ended their chances at a playoff bid. The Patriots picked up several transfers over the off-season in hopes of hosting the 8-team post-season tourney in 2009 (hosted by the ASC-East Champion). Ozarks is a strong contender, led by Cameron and Corey Briggs (.467, 56 R, 54 RBI), the ASC-East Co-players of the Year. Mississippi College edged out Ozarks in the ASC preseason poll 105-104 for the pick for second in the ASC. The Choctaws return their top batter in Brannon Walls (.383) but will have to find a replacement for Jonathan Russell, their best pitcher in 2008. The fourth slot is up for grabs. Texas-Tyler should take the ASC-East crown. The ASC-West was a four-way tie in 2008. McMurry eventually won the conference tourney, but Mary Hardin-Baylor, Concordia-Texas and Hardin-Simmons were just as close to hosting the ASC tourney. McMurry lost D3baseball.com Player of the Year in 3B Derek David, but McMurry returns its top 3 pitchers. Dakota Smith (5-0, 2.96 ERA), Cody Curry (9-2, 4.38 ERA, 82 K's) and Clint Johnson (5-4, 4.76 ERA) started 35 games last season. McMurry garnered 158 votes in the preseason poll to 156 for Mary Hardin-Baylor. Mary Hardin-Baylor returns Joseph Villegas (.427, 55 R), the ASC-West Co-Player of the Year. Hardin-Simmons will be led by ASC-West Pitcher of the Year RHP Kyle Barton (6-1, 1.76 ERA, 2 saves). Hardin-Simmons came in third in the preseason poll, 137 votes to 135 for Concordia-Austin. The Concordia-Austin Tornados have a new campus, but will play the majority of their games at Nelson Field (Austin Independent School District). McMurry and Mary Hardin-Baylor will compete for the ASC-West title.

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC): Trinity ( Texas) won the SCAC tourney on some last inning heroics last season. The momentum carried the Tigers to West Region finals. Evan Bronson (9-3, 2.28 ERA, 102 K's) was second team all-West and returns as the ace of the Tigers with Evan Jones (.402, 67 RBI) anchoring the offense, the Tigers will be in position to repeat as SCAC champions. In the West are the Millsaps Majors. It was a play at the plate in the championship game of the 2008 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament that kept Millsaps from their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years and the Majors are looking at another shot at making the field of 54. Returning this season is D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Hunter Owen (.388, 16 HR, 23 SB). "As this season approaches, our goals aren't necessarily to win this many or do this many, but to make sure we make it to the conference tournament and see what happens," 21st-year head coach Jim Page said. Austin earned the Pool A bid in 2007, and plays one of the toughest schedule in the West Region in preparation for the SCAC tourney.

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC): Pomona-Pitzer did the late season swoon to see their run at the SCIAC crown fall short. 2007 SCIAC Player of the Year Zach Mandelblatt (.344, 5-6, 5.56 ERA) hurt his hip prior to the swoon. If Mandelblatt stays healthy in 2009, then the Sagehens should win the SCIAC. Redlands returns 2008 All-Conference battery RHP Nolan Nicholson (12-2, 3.93 ERA) and Catcher Jefre Johnson (.372, 34 RBI), but must replace 3 infielders. La Verne went 1-2 in the West Region tourney after winning the SCIAC regular season with a 16-4-1 record and will be one team expecting to top the conference at the end of the regular season campaign. Who's missing in the SCIAC? Claremont's Alex Weber-Shapiro who is now playing for UCLA.

Northwest Conference (NWC): Linfield and George Fox pulled down NCAA bids in 2008 and made their statements. Linfield won the 2008 NWC title and was sent to the Central Regional at Augustana. A no. 5 seed in the Regional, the Wildcats went on to the National Baseball Championship in Scott Brosius' first season at the helm. Linfield lost 6 position players, so they must rely on starting pitchers Garrett Dorn (9-3, 2.09 ERA), Cameron Larson (5-5, 2.29 ERA), and Reese McCulley (7-1, 2.30 ERA), all righties. George Fox earned a Pool C bid and was sent to Abilene, where the Bruins lost to Trinity and La Verne Unlike Linfield, most of the regular players return but the pitching is untested. The Bruins will go only as far as their young staff will take them. Repeating from the NWC means beating out Pacific Lutheran, who return nine position players for the 2009 campaign including player of the year candidate Brandon Sales (.388, 31 RBI). The Lutes feature a pitching staff of Trey Watt (6-1, 3.30 ERA), Robert Bleecker (6-0, 2.51 ERA), and Hunter Simpson (1-1, 3.62 ERA), each of whom pulled in all-NWC honors in 2008. The sentimental favorite is Linfield who is hosting the Regional in 2009 but the strengths of the Lutes will be difficult to overcome.


Independents: Chapman leads this group of teams once again. The Panthers will feature ace Wayde Kitchens one more time and is joined by Matt Luzar and Jordan Sigmond. In all, Chapman returns 25 wins but lost 15 wins from the staff, notably reliever Kurt Yacko. Mike Vass is gone, but a strong core of returning position players, Tristan Phillips (.394, 30 R), and Patrick O'Hail (.337, 33 RBI). Chapman is the heavy favorite to earn a Pool b bid and return to the Regional. Cal State-East Bay is in its last season of D3 ball. The Hayward CA school is moving to Division II and the California Coastal Athletic Conference. CSU-EB earned a Pool B bid last season, but lost its stars, Lamonte Toney and Pitcher Matt Vieria. CSU-East Bay should contend for a Pool B bid in 2009 as the school is eligible for D-III playoffs one last season. The University of Dallas Crusaders will be led by INF/P Tom Fogarty (.458, 43 RBI, 4-1, 2 saves) but the Crusaders will probably not find enough pool B bids available in the west to make the playoffs.

By D3baseball.com staff writers

Regional previews: New England | New York | Mid Atlantic | South | Mideast | Central | Midwest | West

It will surprise nobody that the No. 1 team in the nation, the Cortland Red Dragons are the favorites in the New York Region. Cortland's string of 16 consecutive NCAA Division III tournament berths is the longest active streak nationally and is expected to only increase at the end of the season. Traditional powers No. 22 RPI and Ithaca have big holes to fill in their lineups and the competition for the top spot will come from Rochester Institute of Technology as they return a talented team in 2009. If Skyline favorites St. Joseph's (L.I.) or Farmingdale State can get into the playoffs, they might surprise the Red Dragons as they would be the home team in the regional hosted by the Skyline Conference at the Farmingdale State Baseball Complex.

New Faces

Mike Mauro, Staten Island - Mike Mauro took over for Bill Cali this season when Cali retired after 14 years with the College of Staten Island. Mauro joined the Dolphins coaching staff in 2007 when he was named volunteer assistant coach. Mauro started his college career at John Jay where he was twice named a CUNYAC All Star and Division III All American.

Conference Summaries

City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC): This looks to be John Jay's race to win with Mitchel moving to the New England Collegiate Conference this season. The College of Staten Island, the 2008 top seed in the conference tournament, is going to need to rebuild because of significant losses off their roster but new head coach Mike Mauro has recruited heavily to fill their holes. Staten Island won last years CUNY championship with two one-run wins against John Jay on the last day of the tournament. John Jay loses only Chris Nastasi (.428, 6 HR, 57 RBI) from its strong lineup from 2008 and will look to Xavier Perez (.374, 39 R, 15 SB) and John Massoni (.369, 50 R, 56 RBI) to fill that void. On the mound, they will need to find a way to replace Luis Vega (5-1, 5.20 ERA) and Nico Rivera (5-2, 6.33 ERA). If Massoni can repeat his 7-2 performance from 2008 and Michael Colletta (4-8, 5.36 ERA, 56 K's) can turn around his record from last year they may once again end up on top at the end of the tournament. Staten Island will depend on its 2009 captains Michael Madalone (.266), Devon DiCasoli (.252, 33 R), Tom DeWaters (.324, 25 R) and Pat Gale (.312, 32 RBI, 5-2, 4.66 ERA) to take the conference crown and compete for a possible Pool B bid to the NCAA Tournament. "We have a young team and they need good leaders and these guys fit what it means to be a captain," said head coach Mike Mauro.

Empire 8: In years past this conference has always started and ended with Ithaca but this could change in 2009. Rochester Institute of Technology, who has been on the rise the last couple of years, will be looking to take the conference title. RIT returns virtually their entire team from a very strong 2008 campaign, led by utility players Geoff Dornes (.386, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 2.82 ERA). Cory Langtry (7-3, 5.86 ERA) and Mike Marsillo (5-3, 2.17 ERA) to provide quality depth in the starting pitching. Jeremy Tosh (.369, 3 HR, 30 RBI) and a host of others will give support to Dornes in the batting order. Look for the Tigers to threaten Ithaca's Empire 8 supremacy this year. Ithaca is going to have to find a way to replace its top three pitchers from last year who combined to throw almost 60% of the innings. Tom Fishback (4-1, 3.32 ERA), Pete MacDaniel (3-4, 4.05 ERA) and Adam Brown (3-2, 5.86ERA) are all going to have to step up their innings pitched to fill that large void, while some new arms step up and provide quality innings. At the plate, they've lost Rob Raux and several other bats from the heart of their order. They need to have rookie sensation David Ahonen (.418, 12 2B) match his numbers from his terrific freshman year and have Drew Ash (.340, 31 RBI) and Alan Kartholl (.333,) step up with larger contributions. On paper, St John Fisher looks to have far to many losses to their pitching staff to compete for the conference title, but if some of the young arms can step up to provide depth behind probable ace Dan Jurik (5-1, 2.84 ERA) they have enough offense and speed, led by Jason Nevada (.381, 9 SB) and Marc Montesano (.333, 11 SB), to compete in any game. And how can you count any team out that showed the character and sportsmanship that the Cardinals did in their final game last season when they gave up the chance of earning a post season bid and conceded victory to the Oswego State Lakers when the Oswego head coach was injured in a freak accident in the top of the 8th inning. You have to root for a team that has its life priorities in order as this team clearly does.

Liberty League: This conference has been a real enigma in the past few years and this year looks to be more of the same with five schools all with a realistic shot at reaching and winning the conference tournament. Last year's top two teams, Rochester and No. 22 RPI have both lost a lot from their roster to graduation. Both lost their two biggest offensive threats and two of their top big game pitchers but there is still a lot of talent on both rosters so they will be in the mix. The key to both teams success will be how they can fill the voids in their pitching staffs. For Rochester, Blair Veenema (7-2, 3.56 ERA) may not be able to add innings, but needs to repeat his numbers from last year while taking on all the big game starts, while Micheal Park (7-2, 3.5 ERA) and Steve Guzski (2-2, 3.73 ERA) will need to up their innings to make up for the loss of McEneaney and they will need to find someone to replace Fishback in the bull pen. RPI is going to need for some of their pitching depth from last year to step up and fill the void of losing Joe Zongol, Ken Carroll and Tim Klein. If they can do that they will be right in the mix again too as they return several all conference hitters: Camden Mamigonian (.389, 43 R,7 HR, 57 RBI), Patrick Reardon (.389, 48 R, 41 RBI) and Sean Wilkes (.372, 58 R, 13 SB). The two teams that are going to make this season interesting are Skidmore and Clarkson who both return almost their entire rosters from last year. Skidmore's only big loss from last year's roster is SS Adam Brown. They will miss his leadership both offensively and defensively, but will turn to Anthony Ferri (.396, 13 2B, 14 SB) to fill much of that leadership. And they will look for Justin Morelli (.344) and Matt Pisani (.342, 3 HR, 20 RBI) to chip in with the bat and Nick Laracuente (3-0, 2.72 ERA), Ed Reilly (4-5, 4.13 ERA) and Spencer Marcus (4-1, 5.27 ERA) to all improve on their 2008 seasons on the mound. Clarkson may be the one team that can take it all this year If first baseman Matt Holiday (.310, 7 HR, 41 RBI) and outfielder Cale Giroux (.435) can match their offensive output from last year and the pitching staff can give some depth behind ace Greg Chokecki (5-3, 2.44 ERA) they will be hard for anyone to deal with. And then there is St Lawrence. They have several losses to last years roster, but how can you count them out? If they can get to the conference tournament, you never know what may happen as they have played in the last five conference championship games. This will once again be a very interesting year in the Liberty League.

Skyline Conference: This looks to be a two team race, as once again St. Joseph's (L.I.) and Farmingdale State look to be the cream of the league and will be battling for the bid. With the Skyline hosting the NCAA regional tournament at Farmingdale this year it could be a real fairy tale season for one of them if they could reach the regional and successfully navigate its competitive field to earn the bid to the World Series. But let's not get to far ahead of ourselves just yet, as just getting the bid from the Skyline is going to be tough for either of them as they will have to deal with each other. Both teams return several all region players: From Farmingdale – Mike Labossi (.393), Brian Benvenuto (.390), Zak Nersesian (.989 fld pct), and pitchers Billy Garofalos (1.88 ERA, 7 saves), Tom Heeman (6-4, 2.07 ERA). From St Joseph's-LI – D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Mike Gerdes (.412), Jon Welsh (.387) Frank DiPresso (.367) and pitcher Justin Maravegias (5-0, 2.93 ERA).

State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC): Once again this season starts with preseason favorite Cortland, but will it end there? Six of the everyday position players are gone from the 2008 lineup and they've lost three of their pitchers out of the bullpen, but until someone can show they can stand up to them on the field they are still the team to beat if you want the conference championship. Yes, they've lost a lot (Mike Zaccardo, Nick DeVito, Matt Vitalone, Joey Russo) but they have back all of their starting pitching. That alone will give the new lineup a chance to find itself as the Red Dragons have arguably the best starting pitching in the country. Let by 2009 Preseason D3baseball.com All-American and 2008 SUNYAC pitcher of the year Matt Tone (8-0, 2.39 ERA, 88K's). They will once again get a lot of innings from Nicolas Blanco (5-1, 1.31 ERA), Michael Mahay (4-0, 1.52 ERA) and Travis Ratliff (6-1, 3.50 ERA). Once they straighten out the roles in their bullpen, they are going to be tough to score runs on. While Cortland's stranglehold on the conference title may not look as strong as it has been in years past, the other schools in the conference have all lost significant contributions too. If anyone can displace Cortland at the top of the SUNYAC it could be Brockport or Oneonta, both of whom find themselves in very similar circumstances. Both teams return most of their offense, but looking for depth behind a few quality young pitchers. Brockport has lost 2008 player of the year Rob Maxwell and their top hitter Jared Perham, but they have the rest of their young lineup returning. Max Zimmerman (4 HR, 39 RBI), Mike Meola (.340, 12 2B, 25 RBI), Jason Michaels (.328, 38 R) and Kris Gentzke (34 R, 33 RBI). On the mound is where they will need to mature fast if they want to challenge for the championship. Jason Shannon (6-4, 66.1 IP) looks to step into the #1 spot, with two sophomores Gentske (3-1, 3.79 ERA) and Steve Locke (5-2). They are looking to several transfers for the fourth starter. Oneonta returns a lineup that will be led by Ryan Myers (.338, 4HR, 47 RBI), Dan Randall (.322, 4 HR, 24 RBI) and Chris Brady (.337). Look for other major contributions from Peter Lindner and spectacular defensive standout at shortstop Scott Dubben (.314). They've lost most of their pitching staff, but Steve Juedes (5-3, 2.11 ERA) was among the best in the SUNYAC last year. They can also look for heavy contributions from two sophomores who showed great promise last year, 2008 conference rookie of the year Dave Filak (58 k's in 40 IP) and Ken Smith. The fourth place in the conference tournament looks like a dogfight among Plattsburgh, Oswego and New Paltz. All of whom have to fill major holes in their roster due to graduations of top players.

Regional previews: New England | New York | Mid Atlantic | South | Mideast | Central | Midwest | West

by Shannon Blansette for D3baseball.com

It is hard to talk about the favorites in the Central Region without starting in the CCIW. In the last sixteen years, the CCIW has represented this region six times in the Championship Round, with No. 24 Carthage qualifying five times and No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan once. Wartburg in the IIAC has made two appearances in the Championship Round and looks to field another strong team in 2009. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan are the top dogs in the Central Region in 2009 as both teams return proven arms and solid bats to go with experienced coaches who have a knack for not only getting their teams to the post-season, but making waves once they arrive. If they falter, the Carthage Redmen and Illinois Wesleyan Titans should be challenged by Wartburg and Webster in the regional playoff. The addition of the Midwest Conference to this region changes the balance as perennial national power Ripon College looks to tip the balance away from the traditional Central Region powers. One notable absence is four-time representative Aurora who has joined the Northern AC, which has been shifted to the NCAA's Midwest Region. If an unknown is to sneak into the picture this season, we expect it will be the Beloit Buccaneers who return their entire starting lineup from an 18-16 squad last year. Also, keep an eye on the Simpson Storm and Wheaton (Ill), who was kept in the CCIW mix last season by National Batting Champion Brian Kolb.

New Faces

Jason Anderson, Lawrence - Jason Anderson came to Lawrence from Grinnell where he is a 2001 graduate. "I am very excited to be a part of the great athletic department at Lawrence University," Anderson said. "I care deeply about the ongoing success of both the baseball and football programs but look forward to the challenge of leading Vikings baseball to national recognition.

Lee Driggers, Wheaton College (Ill) - The biggest new face on the scene has to be the hiring of Coach Lee Driggers at Wheaton College (Ill). Coach Driggers comes from a very successful program at McMurry University in Texas where he averaged nearly 27 wins a season in his 13 years at the helm.

Conference Summaries

College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW): The CCIW has been dominated by two programs in the past ten seasons. Both No. 24 Carthage and No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan have each claimed five CCIW crowns in that span and not much will be different in 2009. IWU returns All-American pitcher Matt Aronson (7-1, 3.49 ERA) as the anchor of its staff, but may feel the effects of injured starting pitcher Brent Kulavic (6-1, 1.82 ERA, 59 SO) who is likely out for the season after a stellar 2008 season that ended with Honorable Mention All-American honors. Offensively, the Titans will be led by junior left-fielder Kraig Ladd (.381, 42 RBI). Not to be outdone, Carthage has also lost a starting pitcher for the season due to an injury as Mario Perez (7-1, 4.72 ERA) is likely on the shelf for 2009 with a leg injury. The Red Men get a big arm back as well in 2009 with the return of Chris Krepline (4-0, 2.77 ERA) who missed nearly the entire 2008 season. Mix that with high expectations for Trace Ruffie (6-1, 4.48 ERA) this season and the Red Men could not only be the team to beat in the CCIW, but also in the Central Region. Offensively, Carthage tries to fill the big shoes of All-American 1B Jason Acevado (.480, 13 HR, .885 SLG) with another Division I transfer from Bradley University in John Lequia. No. 25 Augustana and Wheaton look to fill the third and fourth slots in the league as each feature an All-American at the plate. Wheaton SS Brian Kolb (.527, 19 2B, 25 SB) and Augustana 3B John Wagle (.419, 11HR, 68 R) were named D3baseball.com preseason first team All-Americans. Both IWU and Carthage look loaded this season and one of them will win the NCAA's Pool A bid while the other should lock down a Pool C berth. The CCIW tournament will consist of the top four teams.

Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC): Wartburg has either had a part in or won 12 straight IIAC baseball titles and 2009 should be no different. The Knights return a solid team and will be led on the mound by ace Billy Schmitt (6-1, 3.90 ERA). Simpson returns eight starters from its 25-16 team last year and they look to challenge Wartburg for the IIAC title. Should the Storm stumble, Coe appears ready to jump into the second spot and make another run in the post-season as in the 2006 campaign. Barring any unforeseen happenings, we give the IIAC's one and only NCAA bid to Wartburg. I just do not see this conference as deep enough to warrant a second bid. The IIAC tournament consists of the top six teams.

Mid-West Conference (MWC): The MWC makes a regional move as it is included in the Central Region for the first time in the 2009 season. Leading the way in the MWC North is perennial power Ripon who has won 8 of the past 11 conference crowns. If that dominance is to end in 2009, it just might come from little-known Beloit who returns nearly its entire team from the successful 2008 season. Rounding out the favorites in the North Division is St. Norbert who returns 2008 North Division Pitcher-of-the-Year Trevin Hillensheim (7-0, 3.21 ERA). The southern half of the conference has lately been controlled by two programs: Knox and Monmouth. Knox surprised the league by upsetting Ripon to take the MWC title in 2008 and looks to make it a habit in 2009. They return two All-MWC First team pitchers in Colin Davis (4-3, 3.95 ERA) and Sam Almohandis (3-3, 2.53 ERA). Grinnell returns four all-MWC players while Monmouth loses three all-MWC players to graduation. Either of these two could fill the second slot in the South Division. The MWC has been controlled by Ripon and this trend will continue in 2009. Expect the Red Hawks to win the north division and earn the Pool A bid in the conference tournament. If they are to be challenged, it will most likely come from within their own division as Beloit is poised to jumped onto the national scene. While Knox looks strong in the South, we can certainly expect Grinnell to make some noise. The MWC tournament features the top two teams in each division and will be hosted by the North's #1 seed in 2009.

St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC): Webster has earned 3 of the past 4 SLAIC titles and fields another strong team in 2009. They will be led by D3baseball.com Second-Team all-American OF Andrew Fuiten (.438, 12 HR, 54RBI) and Honorable Mention Alex Raetzloff (.409, 65R, 5 3B) who will move from second base to the outfield in 2009. These two bats alone will keep Webster near the top of the SLIAC. Expecting to pressure Webster at the top are Greenville, Westminster and MacMurray but Webster is just too strong to be challenged in the SLIAC this season. The Gorloks are our pick to grab the Pool A bid from this conference. The top 4 teams qualify for the SLIAC tournament with the winner earning a Pool A bid.

Independents and others: Among those without a Pool A bid in the Central Region are two independents (Chicago and Nebraska Wesleyan) and the University Athletic Association's Washington (Mo). If any has a chance to make a splash this season we would be surprised. They will have to steal a Pool B bid and the likelihood of that happening is not good. Expect all four of these teams' seasons to end with their final scheduled game.

By Ricky Nelson for D3baseball.com

Regional previews: New England | New York | Mid Atlantic | South | Mideast | Central | Midwest | West

In 2008, the UW-Whitewater Warhawks represented the Midwest Region in 2008 with a third-place World Series run. The No. 4 Warhawks will have to dodge the gauntlet of usual regional contenders – No 15 St. Scholastica, No. 23 UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point, No. 18 St. Thomas, St. Olaf. Add to that list the new contenders from the NAC and it will be tough for UW-Whitewater to repeat its trip to Fox Cities Stadium. We're not counting out UW-Whitewater, but our pick to reach the championship round is the upperclassman-laden team at UW-Oshkosh. St. Scholastica, with a host of top-notch talent and a record of success is poised to break through this year. The Saints is our cinderella pick in 2009. In off-the-field news, the Midwest Evaluation Region welcomes the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC), which gains its first automatic bid in 2009. In a corresponding move, the NCAA moved the Midwest Conference to the Central Evaluation Region.

New Faces

Gary Garrison (Maranatha, NAC) – Garrison takes over the head coaching position after spending the past four seasons as the Maranatha hitting coach. Prior to arriving at Maranatha in 2004, Garrison coached baseball at the high school level for 21 years and at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College for 2 years.

Andy Ham (Northland, UMAC) – Ham, a 2005 graduate of Husson College, takes the helm at Northland after three years as an assistant at Siena Heights University, an NAIA school in Michigan. "I will work to build upon the tradition at Northland and take the baseball program to the next level," Ham said.

Dave Reinemann (Wisconsin Lutheran, NAC) – Reinemann returns to his alma mater after spending the past five years coaching the Northland Lutheran High School baseball team in Wausau, Wis. Reinemann was a four-year starting infielder at WLC (1990-93) and in 1994 served as a WLC assistant coach, responsible for hitting, defense and recruiting. Reinemann has also spent time in the scouting and baseball operations departments with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Nick Winecke (St. Mary's, MIAC) – Winecke was a four-year letter winner and all-conference performer during his playing days at Saint Mary's before becoming the top St. Mary's assistant. "I can't put into words how fortunate I feel to be able to lead a baseball program with so much tradition and success," Winecke said. "I have been mentored by some of the best baseball minds around — and it's that wealth of knowledge that has helped mold me into the coach that I am today."

Conference Summaries

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC): The MIAC has not sent a team to Appleton since St. Thomas won it all in 2001. The Tommies and St. Olaf, which have finished one-two in the MIAC all but two years this decade, are out to halt the MIAC Fox Cities Stadium drought in 2009. The Toms and Oles have made regionals in the same year three times since 2000. This year could make it four with St. Olaf grabbing the higher seed. No. 18 St. Thomas (34-9 in 2008) has been a regional participant eight of the past nine years, but the Tommies lost several mainstays, including 2008 D3baseball.com All-Americans OF Chris Bullis (.489, .740 SLG%, .558 OBP), C Matt Pexa (.438, 40 RBI, 17 2B), and staff ace Lonnie Robinson (8-1, 2.94 ERA, 70 K). However the Toms return a spectacular infield defense (UST committed only 36 errors in 43 games in 2008) and a solid pitching staff led by junior Matt Schuld (7-3, 3.65 ERA). Despite losing some star power, St. Thomas will again be a force as they emphasize the core principals of the game: pitching and defense. St. Olaf (28-12) last won the MIAC regular-season title in 2001. There ends the bad news. St. Thomas lost a highly successful senior class, but the 2009 Oles could have given the Tommies a good run even if they still had their All-Americans. St. Olaf returns the reigning MIAC Co-Player of the Year, utility man Todd Mathison (6-2, 2.35 ERA, .393, 26 RBI), and a whole lot more. Also back on offense for the Oles are the Jones twins in the outfield, Tyler (.396, 38 R, 13 SB) and Carson (.361, 31 RBI, 14 SB). On the mound St. Olaf loses only its No. 2 starter and two guys with 6+ ERAs. Just a few losses from a team that hit .346, had a 4.08 ERA and won 28 games? Add it all up and the Oles look like the team to beat in the MIAC. Headlining the other MIAC contenders is 2008 D3baseball.com 3rd-Team All-American and 2009 Preseason 2nd-Teamer SS Dan Kaczrowski and his Hamline Pipers (23-18), and Concordia-Moorhead (18-14), which returns a trio of all-MIAC players: co-aces Scott Schumacher (5-1, 2.88 ERA) and Adam Johnson (5-1, 2.43 ERA, .187 OPP BA), and C Kyle Johnson (.450, 5 HR, 37 RBI).

Northern Athletics Conference (NAC): The NAC finally gets its first Pool A bid this season. Rockford and Concordia Chicago were on the Pool-B doorstep last season, but now all NAC teams will have their fates in their own hands. But with a conference so balanced, it's hard to pick a favorite. Half a dozen teams could make a claim for preseason favorite. Last year's NAC tourney champ and regular-season co-champ, Rockford (27-17), loses its top starting pitcher, more than 150 IP and three infielders but returns a trio of all-conference performers, led by first-team OF Shaun Dascher (.342, 42 R). Concordia Chicago (32-13) loses D3baseball.com 3rd-Team All-American 1B J.D. Rotzoll (.450, 11 HR) and ace Carl Peterson (7-2, 3.03 ERA), but the Cougars still have lots of bats, including their top four batters not named Rotzoll. NAC regular-season co-champ Benedictine (26-17) returns three first-team all-conference and five all-conference players in all (three on offense and two pitchers). In fact, the Eagles lose just one player who had more than 100 ABs or 20+ IP in 2008. Highlighting the many Benedictine returnees is DH Rick Porcaro (.424, 6 HR, 15 2B), a D3baseball.com Preseason Honorable Mention All-American. Other NAC top contenders include Marian (19-19-1), Aurora (25-15) and Edgewood (21-17). Which team rises to the top in 2009 is anyone's guess, but our guess is Benedictine will claim the conference's first Pool A bid.

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC): Although the UMAC still won't receive an automatic berth to the 2009 tournament, No. 15 St. Scholastica (34-6) looks primed to secure its 13 straight league title and their fifth consecutive NCAA berth. Although the Saints took some graduation hits, many of the same players are back. The Saints lose several mainstays: OF Blake Eller (.443, 56 R, 29 SB), 2B Darrin Carlson (.386, 39 RBI, 44 R), OF Steve Kraushaar (.371, 10 HR, 50 RBI) and C Mike Lewis (5 HR, 36 RBI). But the Saints basically returns its entire pitching staff, including D3baseball.com Preseason Honorable Mention All-American Peter Burg (10-1, 2.76 ERA) and Adian Kummet (8-2, 2.68 ERA). Leading the offensive charge will be yet another D3baseball.com All-American – 1st-Team 1B Sean Claugherty (.447, 10 HR, .830 SLG). St. Scholastica made the regional final for the first time last year, and 2009 could be the year the Saints get to Appleton.

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC): No. 4 UW-Whitewater (42-10) returns several key cogs to the Warhawk offensive machine that scored 10+ runs in five of nine tournament games and led the team to a third-place World Series finish. The offensive returnees include D3baseball.com Preseason 2nd-Team All-American 3B Kevin Zalnis (.375, 19 HR, 57 RBI), CF Jordan Stine (.361, 17 SB) and 1B Jeff Donovan (12 HR, 47 RBI). The UW-Whitewater pitching staff will have to replace WIAC Pitcher of the Year Adam Dominick (11-1, 2.82 ERA) and three other departing seniors who accounted for more than half of last year's innings pitched. The Warhawks return a proven ace in Aaron Dott (7-1, 73 IP, 91 K), so UW-Whitewater could go on another postseason run. No. 23 UW-Oshkosh (29-11) loses just one senior from last year's team, the No. 3 pitcher, from a team that received a Pool C bid in 2008. Anchoring the offense will be senior D3baseball.com Preseason Honorable Mention All-America 1B Brad Demmin (.411, 8 HR, 52 RBI). The Titans are also expected to welcome back junior Mickey Fadness (.371, 5 HR), who missed 2008 due to injury, and a freshman left side of the infield to be manned by all-state recruits. Junior D3baseball.com Preseason 2nd-Team All-American SP/RP Jeremy Rubens (10-2, 2.27 ERA) returns as the Titans' do-everything ace. The Titans have not reached the championship round since 2003, but they have all of the ingredients to get back in 2009. UW-Stevens Point (29-16) loses 2008 D3baseball.com 2nd-Team All-American C Doug Coe (.438, 15 HR, 59 RBI, .542 OBP), most of its regular lineup and two of its top three pitchers to graduation. On the mound the Pointers welcome back SP Brandon Hemstead (5-1, 75.1 IP in 2007) and pro prospect Garrett Nix (8-3, 59 IP). The Pointers also add a prized Wisconsin recruit in OF/P Cody Koback to a solid young lineup. With the yearly focus on the WIAC "Big 3," the rest of the WIAC is often overlooked. Perhaps lost in the WIAC headlines is what Wisconsin-Superior (17-23) head coach Eddy Morgan, a former St. Scholastica assistant and recruiting coordinator, has done in his short tenure. Morgan inherited a 3-35 (0-24 WIAC) program in 2007. Last year Superior had its highest win total since 1974, and now the Yellowjackets are in the mix for their first appearance in the four-team WIAC tournament. Last year UW-Superior beat UW-Oshkosh for the first time since 1973, serving notice that UW-Superior shouldn't be overlooked any longer.

The Cortland Red Dragons, with 12 first place votes, edged out the Chapman Panthers to take to top spot in the 2009 Preseason Top 25. Cortland (42-5 in 2008) is coming off a season that included a school-record 38-game winning streak and is looking to extend their string of 16 consecutive NCAA Division III tournament berths.

Seniors Wayde Kitchens and Patrick Ohail have returned to lead the second ranked Chapman Panthers (40-5). The Panthers, who received four first place votes, has their goal of returning to the championship round for the fifth straight year. Ranked third with seven first place votes are the 2008 National Champions, Trinity Bantams (45-1). Trinity (Conn.), who came with in one game of an undefeated season, return 2009 D3baseball.com Preseason All Americans Sean Killeen and Jeremiah Bayer.

UW-Whitewater (42-10) and Johns Hopkins (42-8) round out the top five. Both the Warhawks and Blue Jays received a single first place vote in the initial Top 25 for the 2009 season. Championship Cinderella, Adrain (36-13) joins Kean (39-11), Heidelberg (41-10), Salisbury (41-4), and Southern Maine (36-14) in the top ten. The complete 2009 Top 25 is below:

Click here for the complete 2009 Preseason NCBWA/D3baseball.com Top 25