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Blue Hen baseball team 43rd in preseason poll
6 a.m., Jan. 15, 2007--The University of Delaware baseball team is ranked No. 43 in the nation in a preseason top 50 poll released by Baseball America magazine. The Fightin' Blue Hens are ranked ahead of such perennial powers as the University of Notre Dame (45), Ohio State University (47), Texas A&M (49) and Louisiana State University (50). The Hens, who went 30-24 in 2006, return 10 position players who started more than 20 games a season ago. In addition, the Hens will welcome back left-handed starting pitchers Mitch Heckert and Brent Gaphardt, who both missed all of 2006 with elbow surgery. UD boasts one the nation's premiere offensive machines, scoring an average of 8.6 runs per game in 2006 and scoring more than 10 runs 18 times. The Hens led the NCAA in home runs per game (2.06), doubles per game (2.63) and slugging percentage (.574). They batted .310 as a team, posted a .393 on-base percentage, stole more bases than their opponents attempted, compiled more than 1,100 total bases and set new team records for home runs (111) and extra base hits (275). Baseball America has also selected the Hens as the favorite to win the Colonial Athletic Association. UD will open the 2007 season with a three-game series Feb. 23-25 at the University of Richmond and then will play at the University of Virginia, which is ranked No. 9 by the magazine. |
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