BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team has been picked to finsh in first place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) standings as the 2023 MASCAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll was released today by conference director of media relations, Emily Loux.

The defending MASCAC regular season and tournament champion Bears received 48 points in the poll including six first-place votes. Westfield State University finished second in the poll with 43 points and a pair of first-place votes, while Massachusetts Maritime Academy rounded out the top three teams with 34 points.

Under the guidance of head coach Greg Zackrison (5th Year), the Bridgewater State baseball team will return to the diamond next month to open the 2023 campaign. The Bears won the the MASCAC regular season title in 2022 with a 17-4 conference mark (30-15 overall). Bridgewater went on to capture the MASCAC Tournament title and advcance to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 15th time in program history and first since 2012. The Bears also hit the 30-win mark for the first time since 2012.

Returning veterans Matt Josselyn (Gr., RHP, Hanson, Mass.), David Kerns (Gr., RHP, East Cambridge, Mass.), Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Sr., RHP, Taunton, Mass.), Jake Graham (Sr., RHP, East Bridgewater, Mass.), Harrison Loud (Sr., LHP, South Kingstown, R.I.), Matthew Seavey (Sr. RHP, North Attleboro, Mass.), Cameron Breault (So., RHP, Buzzards Bay, Mass.), Shane Handrahan (So., LHP, Raynham, Mass.) will help anchor the pitching staff in 2023.

Josselyn, Dasilva-Medeiros and Seavey garnered All-MASCAC Second Team honors in 2022. Josselyn was also named to the ABCA Division III All-Region Two First Team as well as the NEIBA Division III All-New England Team, while Seavey was selected to D3baseball.com All-Region Two Third Team.

Veteran field position returnees include Sean Goudey (Sr., OF, Weymouth, Mass.), Joey Molis (Sr., 1B/3B, Cumberland, R.I.), Mathew Pigeon (Sr., C, Canton, Mass.), Cam James (Jr., OF, Ipswich, Mass.), Kevin Lindsay (Jr., SS, East Bridgewater, Mass.), Eric Longley (Jr., C, Mansfield, Mass.), Kyle Suraci (Jr., 3B, Clinton, Conn.), Jay Wladkowski (Jr., OF, Norwood, Mass.) and Scott Emerson (So., 2B, Peabody, Mass.).

Wladkowski was named the MASCAC Player of the Year in 2022, while Emerson was selected as the MASCAC Rookie of the Year. The duo also earned All-MASCAC First Team honors and they were both named to the ABCA Division III All-Region Two Third Team as well as the D3baseball.com All-Region Two Third Team

Newcomers to the squad are Nathan Labonte (Jr. RHP, Raynham, Mass.), Jack Moynihan (Jr., RHP, Taunton, Mass.), DJ Prampin (So, RHP/OF, Worcester, Mass.), Owen Bates (Fr., RHP, Rochester, Mass.), Nolan DeAndrade (Fr., C, Bridgewater, Mass.), Dan Jasmin (Fr., LHP/OF, East Meadow, N.Y.), Matt Kustigian (Fr., RHP, Charlton, Mass.), Theo Levinson (Fr., 3B/2B, Arlington Heights, Ill.), Harry Meehan (Fr., LHP, Gilford, N.H.), Scott Ritz (Fr., UTL, Quincy, Mass.), Blake Samuelson (Fr., RHP, Millbury, Mass.), Joshua Selander (Fr., 1B, Granby, Conn.), Jason Strickland (Fr., RHP, Miller Place, N.Y.), Riley Thornell (Fr., UTL, Wareham, Mass.) and Trey Yesu (Fr., RHP, Monson, Mass.).

Bridgewater State will open the season on Sunday, March 5th when the Bears take on Rivier University in a doubleheader starting at 6:00 PM in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The 2023 home opener will take place on Saturday, March 18th as UMass Dartmouth comes to Alumni Park for a noontime twinbill. The MASCAC schedule gets underway on Friday, March 31st (3:00 PM) when the Bears travel to MCLA for a three o'clock game with the Trailblazers.