Skyline Conference Releases Spring Preseason Coaches Polls

Written by Andrew Capitelli (SJC-LI Sports Information)

New York, NY| Three of five St. Joseph's College (L.I.) spring athletics teams finished in the top four of their respective Skyline Conference Spring 2017 Preseason Coaches Polls, which were released on Tuesday. Faring best was women's lacrosse, which placed first for the second-consecutive year.

Women's lacrosse, coming off a second undefeated conference campaign, enters 2017 looking to three-peat as conference champion after defeating Farmingdale State in the conference championship for the second-straight season last May.

The defending conference champion baseball team was selected to finish fourth despite claiming its first title since 2004 last season. Head coach Rick Garrett's squad picked up its first-ever NCAA Regional victory with a 3-0 win over Johns Hopkins at last season's Mideast Regional and returns starting pitchers Brandon Lubrano and Josh Outsen in 2017.

Also finishing fourth was the softball team which posted a 21-14 overall record and a 13-5 conference mark in its first season under the direction of head coach Lisa Jusino in 2016. After earning the fourth seed in the conference tournament, the Golden Eagles were defeated by Farmingdale in the first round.

Finishing in seventh in their respective preseason polls were the inaugural men's lacrosse team and the men's tennis team. The men's lacrosse team, coached by Suffolk County high school coaching legend Tom Rotanz, will feature 16 transfers in its first-ever season while the men's tennis team returns 2016 Skyline Second-Team selection Matt Dioguardo.

Women's Lacrosse
Rank, Team (2016 Record / Conference Record) - Points (first-place votes)
1. St. Joseph's-Long Island (14-5 / 7-0 Skyline) - 64 (8)
2. Farmingdale State (8-10 / 6-1) - 57 (1)
3. Purchase (9-14 / 5-2) - 49
4. Old Westbury (6-12 / 4-3) - 37
5. Mount Saint Mary (7-8 / 3-4) - 36
6. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (8-6 / 0-6 Landmark) - 33
7. Maritime (4-9 / 2-5) - 23
8. Sage (5-10 / 1-6) - 16
9. Mount Saint Vincent (0-13 / 0-7) - 9  

Baseball
Rank, Team (2016 Record / Conference Record) - Points (first-place votes)
1. Old Westbury (26-15 / 12-4) - 73 (3)
2. Farmingdale State (20-17 / 12-4) - 70 (2)
3. Maritime (22-14 / 11-5) - 67 (3)
4. St. Joseph's-Long Island (25-13 / 11-5) - 65 (2)
5. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (22-20 / 8-8) - 42
6. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (11-24 / 6-15 Landmark) - 41
7. Mount Saint Mary (14-25 / 8-8) - 32
8. Purchase (12-23 / 7-9) - 29
9. Mount Saint Vincent (7-23 / 3-13) - 22
10. Yeshiva (2-26 / 0-16) – 9

Softball
Rank, Team (2016 Record / Conference Record) - Points (first-place votes)
1. Mount Saint Mary (23-12 / 16-2) - 81 (9)
2. Sage (27-15 / 14-4) - 71
3. Mount Saint Vincent (21-17 / 14-4) - 62 (1)
4. St. Joseph's-Long Island (21-14 / 13-5) - 56
5. Farmingdale State (15-18 / 12-6) - 53
6. Purchase (19-12 / 7-11) - 41
7. Old Westbury (10-14 / 6-12) - 30
8. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (9-16 / 4-14) - 26
9. Sarah Lawrence (9-22 / 2-16) - 21
10. Yeshiva (7-22 / 2-16) – 9

Men's Lacrosse
Rank, Team (2016 Record / Conference Record) - Points (first-place votes)
1. Montclair State (13-7 / 6-0) - 81 (9)
2. Stockton (15-5 / 5-1) - 71 (1)
3. Farmingdale State (12-5 / 4-2) - 63
4. Kean (11-6 / 3-3) - 54
5. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (10-4 / 3-3 Landmark) - 50
6. Mount Saint Mary (10-6 / 1-5) - 40
7. St. Joseph's-Long Island (first season) - 35
8. Maritime (7-7 / 2-4) - 30
9. Mount Saint Vincent (1-14 / 0-6) - 15
10. Purchase (first season) – 11

Men's Tennis
Rank, Team (2016 Record / Conference Record) - Points (first-place votes)
1. Yeshiva (13-4 / 7-0) - 62 (7)
2. Mount Saint Mary (11-4 / 6-1) - 52 (1)
3. Farmingdale State (11-6 / 5-2) - 49
4. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (9-5 / 4-4 Landmark) - 43 (1)
5. Purchase (9-8 / 4-3) - 39
6. Sarah Lawrence (6-6 / 3-4) - 28
7. St. Joseph's-Long Island (3-8 / 2-5) - 27
8. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (2-10 / 1-6) - 15
9. Sage (0-11 / 0-7) - 9