FREELAND, MICH. -- The Trine University baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Preseason Coaches Poll that was released today.
Trine finished with 25 points to place fifth out of eight schools. Adrian (Mich.) College was tabbed as the favorite with 49 points and seven first-place votes. Hope (Mich.) College was second with 43 pionts and one first-place vote. Alma (Mich.) College and Kalamazoo (Mich.) College were tied for third with 30 points each.
The Thunder had a 9-2 record last year in a shortened season. A.J. Mitchell led the team in batting average in 11 games played at .375 (15-of-40) and scored a team-tying high 10 runs. Jake Conley led the team in runs batted in with 11 and tied Mitchell in runs scored (10) while batting .333 at the plate (13-of-39). He hit a triple and two doubles.
Shayne Devine was second on the team in RBI with 10 and had a batting average of .364 (12-of-33). Four of those hits included a triple and a team-high three doubles. In addition, Devine scored seven runs to finish among the team leaders.
On the mound, Bryce Bloode pitched the most innings (15.1) in three appearances and three starts. He had a 2-0 record with a 2.93 earned run average and struck out six batters. Drew Cebulak and Adam Wheaton both pitched 12 complete innings to rank second in that statistical category while Wheaton had 15 strikeouts to go along with a 2.25 ERA and a 1-0 record highlighted by a complete game shutout. Cebulak led the team in strikeouts with 16 in three games, including one start, and posted a 1.50 ERA.
The 2021 season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Mar. 13 when Trine travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. for a doubleheader against Kalamazoo. The first game is set to begin at noon.
2021 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
| Pos. | School (First-Place Votes) | Pts. |
| 1. | Adrian (7) | 49 |
| 2. | Hope (1) | 43 |
| t-3. | Alma | 30 |
| t-3. | Kalamazoo | 30 |
| 5. | Trine | 25 |
| 6. | Albion | 23 |
| 7. | Calvin | 17 |
| 8. | Olivet | 7 |