Bryant receiving votes in Collegiate Baseball preseason poll

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Bryant University baseball team is receiving votes in the 2020 Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, as announced Monday by the organization.

Bryant is one of three Northeast Conference teams to receive votes in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I Preseason Poll presented by Big League Chew, joining Central Connecticut and Wagner.

The Bulldogs enter 2020 coming off their fourth 40-win season in 11 years at the Division I level. Bryant won its eighth-straight Northeast Conference regular-season title in 2019 and advanced to the NEC Championship Round. The Bulldogs have won more games than any other program in the Northeast since the start of the 2011 season.

Bryant returns a pair of All-NEC selections in the first season in Smithfield for head coach Ryan Klosterman, as senior Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.), a first-team recipient at designated hitter, and junior Tyler Mattison (Fort Ann, N.Y.), a first-team starting pitching honoree, are back in Black & Gold in 2020.

The Bulldogs also return senior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) in the outfield after he drove in 57 runs and stole 11 bases in 2019 and bring back five other position players who appeared in at least 35 games, along with 36 of Bryant's 60 games started on the mound last season.

Bryant begins the 2020 season Friday, Feb. 14, when the Bulldogs face Dayton in Wilmington, North Carolina. Opening Day at Conaty Park is slated for Wednesday, March 18, when Hartford visits Smithfield.

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