Guilford Softball & Baseball Ranked in Preseason ODAC Polls

Greensboro, N.C. – Guilford’s baseball team has been picked seventh in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s (ODAC) preseason coaches’ poll released Thursday. The Quakers’ softball team was picked eighth in the 10-team poll. Selections were made by each sport’s head coaches.
Guilford’s baseball team looks to bounce back from a 12-24 overall record in 2007 (5-13 ODAC) and is 1-3 so far in 2008. Head coach Nick Black is in his third season and returns 18 letterwinners from last year. Junior Joe John (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville Road) hit .380 in 2007 with 35 runs scored and six homers. He leads the returning hitters along with senior Phil Drew (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee), who hit .361 last year. Drew did most of the catching last season but moves to first base for his senior campaign. With 33 of 43 students in either their first or second year at Guilford, Black looks to lead a young team back into ODAC contention.
Guilford returns to action Saturday (2/16) in a noon doubleheader with visiting Southern Virginia University at McBane Field.
Guilford’s softball team enters its sixth season and its second under head coach Dennis Shores. The Quakers returns eight letter winners from 2007’s 10-30 team, six of whom will play significant innings. The Quakers return their top-five hitters from 2007 and the addition of seven newcomers significantly adds to Guilford’s depth. Junior Kelly Guarnieri (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan), a two-time honorable mention All ODAC pick, led Guilford with a .364 batting average and was Guilford’s top run producer in 2007. Junior Kelly Hale (Toler, Ky./Belfry) returns to first base after setting team records for home runs (6) and runs batted in (26) in 2007.
The Quakers open the season at home Saturday (2/16) versus Peace College at 1:30 p.m.

2008 ODAC Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)

  1. 1. Virginia Wesleyan – 90 (4)
  2. 2. Bridgewater – 79 (2)
  3. 3. Hampden-Sydney – 77 (3)
  4. 4. Lynchburg – 75
  5. 5. Randolph-Macon – 69 (1)
  6. 6. Washington and Lee – 55
  7. 7. Guilford – 33
  8. 8. Roanoke – 31
  9. 9. Eastern Mennonite – 21
  10. 10. Emory and Henry – 20

2008 ODAC Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)

  1. 1. Bridgewater – 91 (4)
  2. 2. Lynchburg – 91 (3)
  3. 3. Roanoke – 84 (2)
  4. 4. Eastern Mennonite – 70 (1)
  5. 5. Randolph-Macon – 52
  6. 6. Virginia Wesleyan – 50
  7. 7. Emory and Henry – 46
  8. 8. Guilford – 26
  9. 9. Sweet Briar – 26
  10. 10. Randolph – 14