D1Baseball tabs Bryant as preseason favorite in NEC

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team has been tabbed as the Northeast Conference favorite by D1Baseball.com on Tuesday afternoon.

In addition, D1Baseball tabbed fourth-year junior Tyler Mattison as the preseason Pitcher of the Year and first-year Damaurys Rodriguez as the preseason Rookie of the Year. Bryant also features five of the league's top 20 prospects in the next two drafts.

Bryant has won a nations-best eight-straight NEC Regular-Season titles and has been tabbed to do it again by D1Baseball. The Bulldogs have posted a 173-47 (.786) record during that stretch.

Mattison, who was also tabbed the league's top pro prospect in this year's MLB Draft, has posted a 14-6 career record. He was dominant in 2019, going 9-1 with a 3.47 ERA in 80.1 innings. Mattison surrendered just 83 hits in those 80 innings.

Rodriguez picks up his second preseason honor after also being listed as the preseason rookie of the year by Perfect Game. He enjoyed a standout prep career at Wilson High School in Pennsylvania and will see time behind the plate and at DH.

Fifth-year Vito Morgese (4) and fourth-year junior Tyler Schoff (12) joined Mattison on the list of top pro prospects in this year's draft class. Second-year freshman Liam LeVangie was listed as the top prospect and classmate Alex Lane was third in the Class of 2022.

Bryant is scheduled to open its 2021 season with a three-game series at High Point beginning on Feb. 19.