Jan. 16, 2007

Pikesville, Md. - In one of several installments of several preseason baseball polls around the country, Bethune-Cookman College has been selected as the preseason number one choice in the Black College Baseball poll as released on Tuesday by the home office in Pikesville, Md.

Bethune-Cookman was also picked to finish atop the MEAC by Black College Baseball, though the official MEAC Preseason poll won't be released until later this month.

The Wildcats rolled through the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference [MEAC] last year with an unprecedented 15-0 mark during the regular season. They went on to complete their perfect conference run with three wins in the MEAC Tournament to capture the 2006 MEAC crown in Norfolk, Va. In the process, the `Cats tied Howard's record back in 1998 as the only teams in MEAC history to go 15-0.

This season, the Wildcats return an overabundance of talented players, as well as bringing in two Junior College All-American talents. The `Cats may have one of the best hitting teams they've ad in years, according to B-CC head coach Mervyl Melendez ... as well as some of his best pitching in recent memory with all but one starter returning on the mound.

Bethune-Cookman tied for the Black College Baseball title last season alongside Prairie View A&M who had a dream season, and fell just short of an NCAA upset bid against Rice University. B-CC took home Pitcher of the Year honors with Francisco Rodriguez, while Melendez was selected as co-Coach of the Year with Prairie View's Michael Robertson.

For more on the preseason Black College Baseball poll and/or Wildcats baseball, please log on to www.blackcollegebaseball.com, or call the B-CC Office of Sports Information at (386) 481-2206.