- Rams enter 2013 season as winners of the previous five Skyline Championships -
New York, N.Y. - Five-time defending champion Farmingdale State has been tabbed to capture the 2013 Skyline Baseball Championship in voting conducted by the league's nine head coaches.
The Rams come off a 2012 campaign in which they compiled a 32-12 overall record and fell in the championship game of the NCAA New York State Regional. Farmingdale State welcomes back senior Ron Remi, who batted .345 with 27 RBI, as well as sophomore second baseman Tom Rydzewski, who led the team with a .394 batting average. Farmingdale State is ranked 19th in Collegiate Baseball's 2013 NCAA Division III Preseason Poll, while 2012 Skyline runner-up Old Westbury is ranked 23rd.
The Panthers won a program-record 30 games a year ago while leading Division III in batting average (.362), scoring (9.9 rpg.), stolen bases (243) and stolen bases per game (5.79 spg.). Old Westbury returns senior outfielder Paul Valerio, who batted .392 with 58 stolen bases en route to garnering third-team ABCA/Rawlings All-America distinction.
Farmingdale State earned seven first-place votes and amassed 63 overall points, while Old Westbury received a pair of first-place votes and 56 total points. St. Joseph's-L.I. placed third in the voting with 50 points, followed by Mount Saint Mary (44), Mount Saint Vincent (34), Purchase (30), Maritime (24), NYU-Poly (14) and Yeshiva (9).
The opening round of the six-team 2013 Skyline Championship will be held on Wednesday, May 1, while the semifinals and finals will be held May 3-5 on the campus of the regular season champion.
2013 Skyline
Preseason Coaches Poll
Points
1. Farmingdale State 63 (7)
2. Old Westbury 56 (2)
3. St. Joseph's-L.I. 50
4. Mount Saint Mary 44
5. Mount Saint Vincent 34
6. Purchase 30
7. Maritime 24
8. NYU-Poly 14
9. Yeshiva 9
(First-place votes in parentheses)
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