ECC RELEASE
NCBWA RELEASE

 
WEST BABYLON, N.Y. – Senior James Varela garnered two more preseason honors Wednesday as he was tabbed a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-America first team honoree and the East Coast Conference (ECC) Preseason Pitcher of the Year. The LIU Post baseball team was also selected second in the ECC Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
Varela, who was also named Preseason All-East Region First Team by the NCBWA, was a consensus All-America selection last season, claiming honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) and the NCBWA.
 
He was also named All-East Region First Team by all three organizations.
 
The 2018 ECC Pitcher of the Year and ECC All-Conference First Team honoree set program single-season records in victories (11) and strikeouts (116) last season along with posting an 11-1 record and seven complete games. He matched the program record with 13 starts and 101.1 innings pitched.
 
The Pioneers, who were chosen at No. 9 in the NCBWA preseason East Region Poll, received 54 votes and one first-place vote to finish second behind Saint Thomas Aquinas College, who received 63 votes and seven first-place votes
 
Along with Varela, the Pioneers also welcome back four other postseason honorees from 2018. Senior Anthony Vaglica was named NCBWA All-East Region Honorable Mention and ECC All-Conference First Team, senior outfielder Dave Brehm was named to the All-East Region Second Team by both ABCA/Rawlings and the NCBWA along with the ECC All-Conference First Team. Seniors Michael Manzione and Noah Lorenzo were both named ECC All-Conference Second Team.

LIU Post opens its season against the University of Tampa on Feb. 15-17 with a three-game series at the University of Tampa Baseball Field in Tampa, Florida. 
 
ECC Baseball Preseason Poll
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (7) - 63
2. LIU Post (1) - 54
3. Molloy - 48
4. Bridgeport - 41
T5. Mercy - 26
T5. NYIT - 26
7. Queens - 23
8. Lincoln - 7