Riverdale, N.Y. (January 9, 2008) ? The Manhattan College Baseball team has been predicted to win the MAAC as announced in a poll released by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. In addition, sophomore pitcher Tom Costigan was projected as MAAC's Pitcher of the Year. All voting was conducted by the MAAC's head coaches.
The Jaspers, under third year head coach Kevin Leighton, have been predicted to win the MAAC for the second time since MAAC Baseball started in 1982. Manhattan, which fell to Le Moyne in the MAAC Championship game last year, is looking to win their second title this decade. The Jaspers, which qualified for the MAAC Championships the past six seasons, are followed in the poll by Canisius, Marist, St. Peter's, Fairfield, Siena, Rider, Iona, and Niagara rounds out the poll.
Costigan, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, posted an 8-3 record with a 3.84 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 89 innings of work in 2007. The right-hander allowed only 16 walks out of 341 batters and also held his opponents to a .276 batting average.
Returning players, Brian Pendergast (So. RHP), Kevin Nieto( So. OF), Eric Nieto (Sr. OF) and Dom Lombardi (Sr. 3B) have all been tabbed players to watch.
Manhattan opens the 2008 season on Feb. 22-25, playing a three-game series in Charlotte, N.C. against UNC-Charlotte.
