Baseball ranks third in final NEIBA poll

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After a year that saw the Bryant University baseball team finish the regular season with the Northeast Conference title and the most wins in New England, the Bulldogs wrap up 2012 ranked third in the final regional poll, as voted by New England's Division I coaches and announced by the NEIBA Tuesday.

The Bulldogs are tied with Holy Cross for the most victories in New England, both teams sharing identical 33-21 records. The Crusaders sit five points behind Bryant for fourth in the polls but received a single first-place vote. The University of Rhode Island regained the top spot on the list and garnered five top nods with a 32-23-1 record and 33 total points, while UConn fell one spot to second, just two points behind the Rams. The Huskies took home the remaining pair of first-place votes on the week and boast a 29-25-1 overall record. Dartmouth rounds out the top-five vote getters and sits at 24-18, while Boston College and Northeastern also received votes in the Week 9 NEIBA Coaches Poll.

The Bulldogs claimed their second NEC Regular-Season Championship in three tries in their final weekend of 2012 action, taking three of four from league foe Wagner College to wrap up the top spot. Bryant was recognized by the conference for its supreme achievements, taking home Pitcher, Rookie and Coach of the Year honors to go along with five all-conference selections. The team has now won 30 games in six-straight seasons, including all four campaigns competing at the Division I level.