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Feb. 26, 2008
River Forest, Ill. - The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) released the results of the NAC Baseball Coaches' Preseason Poll last week with the Dominican University Stars picked to finish eighth by the NAC coaches. The Stars lost three everyday players that started at least 29 games last season and five pitchers that made a minimum of seven appearances in the team's 37 games. However, Dominican does return all-conference first baseman Michael Albert (Chicago, IL) as well as Mike Eifel (Midlothian, IL) and George Hickey (Chicago, IL), both of whom received honorable mention for the NAC All-Conference Team last season. Albert posted a .301 batting average in 113 total at-bats last season, driving in a team-best 21 runs with six extra-base hits. The 6'1" Albert posted a team-high .403 on-base percentage with 16 walks and a .354 slugging percentage. Defensively, Albert ranked second on the team last season amongst position players with a .991 fielding percentage, committing just three errors in over 320 attempts. Eifel, a 6'4" senior right-hand pitcher, has logged a career 7-6 record on the mound with a 3.53 earned run average. Last summer Eifel pitched in the Georgia Collegiate League and was named the Most Outstanding Player, posting a 1.05 earned run average with a 5-1 record with the Athens Pirates. In two seasons on the hill with the Stars, Eifel has struck out 93 hitters while walking just 57. In 2007, Hickey posted a 2.25 earned run average as the Stars' closer, logging four saves in 12 appearances. In addition to Albert, Eifel and Hickey, the Stars return Rich Sullivan (Chicago, IL) who posted a team-best .322 batting average with 16 RBI and eight extra-base hits and Nate Mercado (Chicago, IL) who was an all-region selection as a shortstop as a sophomore following the 2006 season and has a career .323 batting average with 32 extra-base hits. A year ago the Stars finished in a tie for sixth place with Benedictine University in the NAC at 10-10. After beginning the season at 0-5 in league play, Dominican won 10 of their next 15 NAC contests including series sweeps over Wisconsin Lutheran College, Maranatha Baptist Bible College and Lakeland College while splitting series with Edgewood College, Aurora University, Benedictine and Concordia University (WI). 2008 NAC Baseball Coaches' Preseason Poll
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