MILWAUKEE – Marian University baseball received 178 total votes to finish sixth in the NACC preseason poll, as voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors of the league.
Concordia University Chicago, which has won or shared nine of the last 11 NAAC baseball titles, emerged as the top pick in the 2020 NACC Baseball Preseason Poll. The Cougars (42-10, 21-1 NACC last season), who advanced to an NCAA Division III Super Regional last season, racked up 272 points and 12 first-place votes to edge defending tournament champion Aurora University (35-11, 18-4 NACC) by eight points.
The Spartans, which also advanced to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship last season, posted 264 points and eight first-place votes, just ahead of Benedictine University in third with 253 points and four first-place votes.
Concordia University Wisconsin (fourth, 190 points), Dominican University (fifth, 180 points) and Marian University (sixth, 178 points) are picked to fill out the field for the NACC Baseball Tournament in May.
Milwaukee School of Engineering edged out Illinois Institute of Technology, 143-141, for seventh place in the poll, while Lakeland University (67), Rockford University (65) and Edgewood College (64) were separated by just three points for ninth, 10th and 11th places. Wisconsin Lutheran College received 55 points to round out the poll.
The top six teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the NACC Softball Tournament, which will be held May 7-10 at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin. The NACC Tournament champion will receive the league’s automatic berth in the 2020 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
Marian opens the season Thursday, Feb. 27 in Jacksonville, Ill. taking on Monmouth (Ill.) in a non-conference doubleheader.
| 2020 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Baseball Preseason Poll | |||
| Rank | School (1st place votes) | Points | 2019 Record |
| 1. | Concordia Chicago (12) | 272 | 42-10, 21-1 NACC |
| 2. | Aurora (8) | 264 | 35-11, 18-4 NACC |
| 3. | Benedictine (4) | 253 | 23-15, 14-8 NACC |
| 4. | Concordia Wisconsin | 190 | 20-21, 13-9 NACC |
| 5. | Dominican | 180 | 20-20, 13-9 NACC |
| 6. | Marian | 178 | 24-15, 12-10 NACC |
| 7. | MSOE | 143 | 13-23, 10-12 NACC |
| 8. | Illinois Tech | 141 | 18-23, 10-12 NACC |
| 9. | Lakeland | 67 | 9-28, 7-15 NACC |
| 10. | Rockford | 65 | 10-26, 4-18 NACC |
| 11. | Edgewood | 64 | 10-28, 5-17 NACC |
| 12. | Wisconsin Lutheran | 55 | 14-25, 5-17 NACC |
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