Baseball America selects Bryant as preseason favorite

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team has been picked as the preseason favorite in the Northeast Conference and also featured each of the top four pro prospects according to Baseball America.

In addition to its preseason poll and top MLB prospects, Baseball America also listed Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) as the preseason player of the year and Jake Gustin (Peabody, Mass.) as the preseason rookie of the year.

Bryant is coming off a 32-23-1 record in 2018 that included its seventh-straight NEC Regular-Season title and eighth in the nine years it has played a full league schedule. The Bulldogs posted 20+ league wins for the sixth time in nine years and won 30+ games for the eighth time in 10 Division I seasons.

Ward hit .409 with 101 hits, 22 doubles, five triples and eight home runs on his way to NEC Player and Rookie of the Year honors. He drove in 52 runs, scored 51 runs and struck out just 10 times in 272 plate appearances.

This marks the second publication that has projected Gustin as the NEC Rookie of the Year. Gustin hit .529 with six doubles, four triples and three home runs as a senior at Peabody Memorial. He earned Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American honors and Perfect Game All-Northeast honors.

The top four MLB prospects were all Bulldogs, headlined by Ward. Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) was listed second, while juniors Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) and Vito Morgese (Warwick, N.Y.) were listed 3-4. Senior Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) came in at No. 7.

Bryant opens the 2019 season with a three-game series at Abilene Christian starting on Friday, Feb. 15.

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