Jan. 31, 2007

EDISON, N.J.- The Marist baseball squad was picked to finish third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the third consecutive season Tuesday in a poll of the league's 10 head coaches. Marist accumulated 77 points, behind Le Moyne's 99 and Manhattan, the league's defending champion, who had 89.

Senior infielder Pat Feeney (New City, N.Y.), senior designated hitter Justin Lepore (Madison, Conn.) and senior outfielder Travis Musolf (Manchester, N.J.) all boasted preseason All-MAAC honors.

Feeney, who earned first-team All-MAAC honors last season, led Marist in batting average (.372) and on-base percentage (.455). Lepore, a second-team All-MAAC honoree, paced Marist with nine home runs, a .562 slugging percentage and 42 RBI. Musolf, who was also a second-team All-MAAC member last season, was the only player to appear in every game last season for Marist, while hitting .316 and stealing nine bases.

Siena College took fourth (67), followed by Rider University (62), Canisius College (41), Niagara University (39), Fairfield University (35), Iona College (26) and Saint Peter's College (15).

Manhattan's Matt Rizzotti (Floral Park, N.Y.) was named the MAAC Baseball Preseason Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Last season, Rizzotti owned a .340 batting average after collecting 69 hits, 57 runs and 43 RBI as he helped the Jaspers win their first MAAC championship and a trip to the NCAA Championship.