WVU Mountaineer Sports: Basketball | Football | News |Baseball: West Virginia Picked 10th

The West Virginia University
baseball team is predicted to finish 10th in the BIG EAST preseason
coaches' poll, announced today by the conference.

The Mountaineers earned 39 total votes. West Virginia finished the 2011
season with a 28-27 overall record, including a 14-13 mark in the BIG
EAST to finish in fourth place in the conference and earn a bid to the
BIG EAST Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.

For the second time in his career, redshirt senior Dan DiBartolomeo was
named to the preseason all-BIG EAST team as a designated hitter after
earning the honor as a third baseman in 2010. DiBartolomeo finished the
2011 season with a .338 batting average in 40 games, as well as six home
runs and 28 RBIs.

St. John's was tabbed as the conference favorite with 119 votes,
followed by Louisville with 110 votes. Connecticut, USF and Seton Hall
were picked third, fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Notre
Dame.

Rounding out the seven through 12 spots are Cincinnati, Pitt, Rutgers,
West Virginia, Villanova and Georgetown.

West Virginia begins its season on Feb. 17, against Northwestern in the
Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla. First pitch is set
for 10 a.m.