EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University baseball team was picked to finish third in the PSAC East Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon.

The defending PSAC East regular-season champion Warriors earned two first-place votes, trailing West Chester and Millersville, who tied for first with three first-place votes apiece. Shippensburg was tabbed fourth, followed by Shepherd in fifth. Kutztown, Bloomsburg, and Mansfield rounded out the poll in sixth, seventh, and eighth place, respectively.

ESU continues to garner preseason attention after being ranked No. 19 in the DII Baseball Preseason Top-25 and third in the NCBWA Atlantic Region Preseason Poll earlier this week.

The Warriors return five of their six All-PSAC East honorees from last season, with former All-America pitcher Brent Francisco being the only departure. Returning standouts include first-team selections Jack Rothenhausler (3B), Shanley Wall (OF), and Caden Parker (RP), along with second-team honorees Ryan Dewees (P) and Cam Hubbard (DH).

ESU is coming off a historic 2024 season in which the team set a program-record 43 wins (43-13), finished as the PSAC Tournament runner-up, and captured its first-ever PSAC East regular-season title. The Warriors also hosted a pod in the Atlantic Regional and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.

The 2025 season begins at the site of the NCAA DII Baseball Championships in Cary, N.C., with a two-game series against Molloy on Feb. 15-16.

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2025 PSAC Baseball Preseason Polls (# of first-place votes in parentheses)

Eastern Division

1. West Chester (3)

2. Millersville (3)

3. East Stroudsburg (2)

4. Shippensburg

5. Shepherd

6. Kutztown

7. Bloomsburg

8. Mansfield

 

Western Division

1. IUP (4)

2. Slippery Rock (3)

3. Seton Hill (1)

4. California

5. Gannon

6. Pitt-Johnstown

7. Clarion