Manhattan Picked Third in MAAC Preseason Poll

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions Manhattan Jaspers were selected to finish third according to the league's Preseason Coaches' Poll as revealed on Wednesday. Jaspers' junior co-captains Ramon Ortega, Nick Camastro and John Soldinger were each selected to the All-MAAC Preseason Team. Canisius topped the poll with 61 votes, followed by Rider with 60 votes and the Jaspers received 59 votes.

Fist year head coach Jim Duffy returns 26 letterwinners, including five starters, from last year's championship team that won 34 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in six seasons. Manhattan is also coming off a year that featured a 20-2 MAAC record to finish with the highest conference win percentage in program history (.909), and it tied for the second highest in the MAAC dating back to 1989.

Ortega, a 2011 All-MAAC Second Team selection, ranked fifth in the conference batting .371 in 22 MAAC starts behind the plate. Ortega recorded 53 hits, 25 RBI, scored 21 runs and had 11 doubles last season. The 5'10" 210-pound junior from Miami was a key contributor in the Jaspers postseason run as he was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team after driving in three runs and recording two doubles in three games. He then led Manhattan's offensive efforts in the NCAA Tournament against Florida and Jacksonville as posted a team-high .714 (5-7) batting average, .857 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage.

Camastro was also named to the All-MAAC Second Team in 2011 as he started all 53 games and hit .304 with 23 RBI. The shortstop from Lagrangeville, N.Y. finished with a .417 on-base percentage and 32 runs scored. Camastro led the MAAC with 15 sacrifice bunts and he also stepped up in the NCAA Tournament batting .625 (5-8) with two RBI. He had 12 multi-hit and seven multi-RBI performances in 2011.

Soldinger is coming off another brilliant campaign as he was awarded the MAAC Pitcher of the Year honor to complement the MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year accolade he received in 2010. Soldinger was also selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association Northeast Region Team after leading the MAAC with 10 wins and posting 66 strikeouts with a 3.57 ERA. The right-hander from Bay Shore, N.Y. pitched a complete game, six strikeout effort to help lift the Jaspers to a 3-2 victory over Canisius in the MAAC Tournament. He was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team for his performance.

Manhattan gets the season underway on Feb. 24 at Florida Atlantic. The Jaspers first home game at Van Cortlandt Park is set for March 21 versus Hofstra.