NEWARK, NJ -- The NJIT baseball team has been selected to finish third in the America East preseason coaches poll, the conference announced on Wednesday afternoon. The league also unveiled the Preseason All-Conference Team, which featured a trio of Highlanders. Seniors
Dillon Can,
Austin Francis and
Ty Sallie all landed on the team.
The Highlanders received 26 points in the rankings, placing them at third. Binghamton received 32 points and three first-place votes to be the preseason selection as conference champions. Bryant comes in at No. 2 with 30 points and three first-place votes. UAlbany received 21 points and one first place vote to sit at fourth, Maine received 19 points, UMass Lowell received 11 points and UMBC received eight points to round out the preseason poll.
The preseason rankings and all-conference selections are voted on by the league's head coaches who are unable to cast votes for their team's players.
Can missed all of last season due to an injury, however in his sophomore year the senior from Broomall, Pennsylvania saw action in 31 games, making 24 starts at second base and third base. He hit safely in seven of the final eight games, including four two-hit games and knocked in five runs vs. Saint Peter's (4/30) and three at UMass Lowell (5/12).
Francis played in 52 games, making 51 starts primarily at second base and left field while leading the team with 49 runs batted in. The senior from Troy, New Jersey owned a .272 batting average with four home runs and 14 doubles and his second grand slam of the season came in the America East Tournament against Binghamton (5/22).
Sallie is coming off a stellar season where the outfielder was named to the All-America East First Team. The senior from Parsippany, New Jersey played in 52 games and started 51 of them while batting .305 with a pair of home runs and 29 RBI. He was second on the team with 46 runs scored and walked 35 times, tied for the second-most in a season in team history. Sallie was also third on the team with a .341 batting average in America East games and reached base safely in 25 consecutive games to end the season.
NJIT opens its season on Feb. 13 to kick off a four-game series at Longwood.
