BOSTON — After two consecutive seasons of finishing at the top of the standings, the Stony Brook baseball team was picked to do it again.

The Seawolves are first in the America East preseason coaches poll, the league announced on Friday afternoon. After winning the 2019 and 2021 regular season titles, as well as the 2019 tournament title, the perennial league favorites received four of the available seven first-place votes to edge their way into first.

Stony Brook returns an ace on the mound in preseason All-American Nick DeGennaro. The projected Friday night starter earned a Second Team honor after recording eight wins and 92 strikeouts a season ago, both of which lead all returning league hurlers.

He leads a Seawolves staff that helped the team win 31 games, including 25 in America East play en route to the first-place finish.

This year's schedule features five teams that went to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including Super Regional participant South Florida and NCAA Regional top seed Old Dominion. Opening Day is two weeks from today, February 18, as the Seawolves head south for a three-game slate with McNeese State.

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