CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.-  The Dowling College baseball team has been picked second in the East Coast Conference Preseason Poll as voted on by conference coaches.  St. Thomas Aquinas College was select to win their third straight conference title with Stanley Susana named the Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season, while senior Brian O’Keefe from Bridgeport, earning the Preseason Pitcher of the Year honor.
 
Dowling, the 2014 ECC Regular Season Champions, finished with a 36-17 overall recorded, 19-5 ECC mark. The Golden Lions, who were runner-up to St. Thomas Aquinas in both the ECC and NCAA East Region Tournaments, received the final two first place votes to finish with 37 points.
 
The Golden Lions added 16 new faces to the 2015 roster to join the 20 remaining from last year’s team.  Of those returning is senior outfielder John Cruz.  Cruz posted his best season to date in 2014 with a .319 batting average while slugging at a .436 clip.  He finished third in the ECC with 43 runs, 65 hits and three triples while recording 29 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
 
Head Coach Tom Caputo and his squad open the 2015 season as they Travel to Adelphi University Wednesday, February 25^th.

2015 East Coast Conference Preseason Poll
School                                                 Points
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (5)                    47
2. Dowling (2)                                      37
3. Bridgeport                                         34
4. Molloy                                               29
5. LIU Post                                            26
6. Mercy                                                12
7. Queens                                             11
 
( ) – first place votes
                       
Preseason Player of the Year:  Stanley Susana, Sr., IF, St. Thomas Aquinas
Preseason Pitcher of the Year:  Brian O’Keefe, Sr., Bridgeport