Commonwealth Coast Conference 2016 Baseball Coaches' Poll

WATCH VIDEO TO SEE COACHES' SELECTIONS REVEALED

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - After having its quest for a third-straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship halted early last spring, Endicott looks poised to make another run at the title this year as the Gulls earned the top spot in the 2016 CCC preseason coaches' poll. The reigning regular season champions earned 79 points, while garnering seven of nine first place votes from the league's nine head baseball coaches.

Last season, Endicott went 12-4 (22-14 overall) in the conference to earn the top-seed in the CCC Tournament. After experiencing a setback with a 2-0 loss to Salve Regina on day one of the tournament, the Gulls earned a spot in the conference's final four with a win over Western New England on day two. However, an extra-innings loss to Roger Williams on day three eliminated the top-seeded Gulls from championship contention.

Salve Regina (67) and CCC Tournament runner-up Roger Williams (59) occupy the second and third spots on this year's ledger each receiving a single first place vote.

Defending CCC champion Curry was picked fourth in the poll earning a total of 55 points, while Western New England rounds out the top-five with 54.

The Colonels came into last year's tournament as the No. 3-seed and advanced to championship Sunday through the winner's bracket defeating Gordon, Roger Williams, and Salve Regina. They dropped the first game on the final day of the tournament 18-7, but were able to bounce back in game two to overcome Roger Williams 5-4.

Curry earned the No. 7-seed in the NCAA Division III New England Regional and upset No. 2 Wesleyan, 4-0, before dropping games to Ramapo and MIT.

Gordon and Nichols each earned 26 points to tie for the sixth spot, while Wentworth (20) and Eastern Nazarene (19) claimed the eighth and ninth spots respectively.

Curry is the first team to hit the diamond this year as it travels down to Atlanta for a three-game set with Oglethorpe starting tomorrow, Feb. 19. The rest of the CCC teams get underway in March. The top six teams in the 2016 regular season conference standings will qualify for the CCC Tournament, which gets underway Thursday, May 5 and continues through Sunday, May 8.

Salve Regina (26-16; 8-8 CCC) carried a 12-game win streak into the third round of the league playoffs last season. The 2015 ECAC New England Division III Champions return last season's Player and Rookie of the Year, Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.), along with fellow all-conference honorees Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) and David Neil (Randolph, Mass.). Perry earned NABC All-American honors after leading the nation in runs batted in per game (1.57).

Click HERE to view the whole 2016 CCC baseball schedule.