National Champion Etta Express tabbed No. 7 in NCAA D-III preseason poll
Marietta College looking to fill holes in 2007

Dec. 31, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio — While the bats and balls will not come out of storage for another month, the first sign that the Marietta College baseball season is right around the corner came the day after Christmas (Dec. 26) when the NCAA Division III Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll was released.

Marietta, who in 2006 captured the fourth national championship in school history, was voted seventh in the poll. A year ago, the Pioneers, selected eighth in the poll, battled their way through a tough regular season schedule and made the most of an at-large bid to postseason by taking the nation's top prize with a four-game sweep in Grande Chute, Wis.

The Etta Express, under the direction of fourth year Head Coach Brian Brewer, will have another long road ahead of itself in 2007, as Marietta will have to replace many of the major contributors to the 2006 squad, including four of its top five pitchers as well as the team's center fielder, catcher and two middle-of-the-order bats. Three of those players—senior Mike DeMark (Florence Freedom), senior Jarrod Klausman (Washington Wild Things) and junior Mike Eisenberg (Cleveland Indians)—signed professional contracts after the season.

Marietta will also have to once again go through its rival Otterbein College, who ranked atop this year's preseason poll. The Cardinals, who return virtually everyone from the 2006 team that won both the OAC regular season and tournament title, won the season series over the Pioneers, 5-2. Fortunately, Marietta won the game that mattered most, pulling out an 8-7, 11-inning victory in the NCAA Mideast Regional finals.

Seniors shortstop Ryan Eschbaugh, second baseman Ryan Belanger, right fielder Tony Piconke, first baseman Joe Litke, junior designated hitter Tom Doty and sophomore pitcher Jason Baumler—who all player a key role in Marietta's championship run—return to lead the young Pioneers in 2007.

Marietta is slated to open up its season against Piedmont (Ga.) in Atlanta (Ga.) on March 3. The Pioneers will also be traveling to Texas again for Spring Break (Mar. 12-16). MC’s home opener at Don Schaly Stadium is scheduled against LaRoche (Pa.) on March 20. A double header showdown with Otterbein will take place in Westerville on April 7.

Rounding out the top 10 in the preseason poll were Chapman (2), Montclair State (3), Wisconsin-Stevens Point (4), Southern Maine (5), Eastern Connecticut (6), College of New Jersey (8), Wheaton (9), and North Carolina Wesleyan (10).