Dayton Flyers

Dayton was picked first in the Atlantic 10 coaches preseason poll on Thursday

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The University of Dayton baseball team has been picked to win the 2010 Atlantic 10 baseball crown in a vote by the A-10 coaches after winning a program-record 38 games last season and capturing their first regular season conference championship.

“It’s obviously and honor to be considered the favorite by the Atlantic 10 baseball coaches,” Dayton head coach Tony Vittorio said, “While it is an honor, it is not the end of season reward. It’s time to get back to work for the Flyer baseball team.”

The Charlotte 49ers were picked to finish second in the league, followed by Xavier and Rhode Island respectively. Richmond, Saint Louis, Massachusetts, Temple, Fordham, George Washington, Saint Joseph’s, St. Bonaventure, La Salle and Duquesne rounded out the rest of the selections.

Last season the Flyers hammered a program-record 77 home runs while leading the conference in batting average (.332).

Dayton returns a slew of talent including, Rookie of the Year Cameron Hobson, who set the school record with 83 strikeouts in a season, and right-handed pitcher Burny Mitchem who was 1-0 in three starts before injuring his leg for the season. The team also returns senior second baseman Zach Jacob who finished second in the conference in hits and runs. UD also returns the threatening bats of Jimmy Roesinger (.406) and Cole Tyrell, the Flyers’ leader in home runs (12) and RBI (60).

The Flyers open the season on the road against the Army Black Knights and Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Friday, Feb. 19 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Dayton is scheduled to play its home-opener on Friday, March 12, hosting the Indiana State Sycamores at Time Warner Cable Stadium.