Etta Express tabbed fifth in pre-season poll

Jan. 5 , 2005
MARIETTA, Ohio - Respect is a verb continually associated with Marietta College baseball. Respect for the program is rooted in its tradition, something that individuals in the MC Baseball Fraternity take great pride in and can be directly linked to their former leader, legendary head coach Don Schaly, and has been continued through the work of current head coach Brian Brewer and his staff.

After not being voted into the pre-season top 30 for the first time in recent history last season, MC climbed to as high as ninth before finishing 26th in the final 2004 poll. This year, it enters the charts at the fifth spot, the highest-ranking Mideast Region school on the list.

The Pioneers have won three national titles (1981, 1983, 1986) and have finished national runners-up seven times in 18 World Series appearances.

Rowan (NJ) was selected No. 1 in the poll, while John Hopkins (MD), St. Thomas (MN) and Chapman (CA) were all picked above the Pioneers. George Fox (OR), last season's D-III champion, was tabbed No. 15, while runner-up Eastern Connecticut State will start the year at No. 6.

Heidelberg, the 2004 OAC Tournament champion, was picked No. 23. North Coast Athletic Conference powers No. 13 Wooster and No. 29 Denison are both on the Pioneers' schedule this spring.

Marietta, who went 33-11 in 2004 and won the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season title, returns a core of experienced players, including two second team All-Americans Chris Sidick and Mike DeMark.

Sidick, who was also named the 2004 Jack Rafeld OAC Player of the Year and a first-team All-Mideast Region pick, finished the 2004 season hitting a team-high .423 (69-for-163). The center fielder also led the Pioneers in hits (69), triples (6), home runs (6), total bases (108), slugging percentage (.663) sacrifices (10) and walks (26).

Sidick also finished 27-for-31 in stolen bases, collected 37 RBIs and scored 49 runs during the 2004 campaign. His .423 batting average ranked second in the league, while he led the OAC in hits, triples, stolen bases and total bases.

DeMark, who went 12-2 on the mound in 2004, led the Etta Express in innings pitched (90 1/3), appearances (20), complete games (7) strikeouts (101) and ERA (1.79) in 2004. His ERA was the fourth best in the OAC and his 101 strikeouts were a league best in 2004.

Marietta will open the season in early March, when they participate in the Port Charlotte (FL) Invitational.