MARIETTA, Ohio — The release of the Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III Preseason Poll is the first sign that the 2010 Marietta College baseball season is just months away. With 11 returning lettermen and a talented group of newcomers, seventh-year Head Coach Brian Brewer expects his Pioneers to once again assert themselves as a conference, regional and national contender in 2010. Collegiate Baseball echoed that sentiment by voting Marietta #19 in the 30-team poll, which was release on Dec. 21. [Complete Poll]

The record four-time national champion Etta Express will begin practice in mid January and open the season on March 6 when it takes on host Rhodes College as well as Blackburn College in Memphis, Tenn. The games kickoff a 9-game spring break trip that also features 5 games in Abilene, Texas, and 2 more back in Memphis. [Complete Schedule]

Marietta will be looking to replace 7 graduated seniors from the 2009 team that finished runner-up in both the OAC regular season and the OAC Tournament as well as the NCAA Mideast Regional Tournament.

2009 All-Region and All-OAC designated hitter/catcher Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa., Hampton), 2008 All-OAC catcher Dan Jones (Lima, Shawnee), 2007 All-Region and All-OAC pitcher Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta, Marietta) and outfielder Matt DeSico (Euclid, Euclid) will be asked to anchor the program this spring and provide the senior leadership that is a staple of the Marietta baseball program.

Defending champion St. Thomas (Minn.) sat atop the 2010 preseason poll. Rounding out the top 10 were #2 Wooster; #3 Eastern Connecticut State; #4 Chapman (Calif.); #5 Carthage (Wis.); #6 Kean (N.J.); #7 Salisbury (Md.); #8 Shenandoah (Va.); #9 Trinity (Conn.) and #10 Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.).

Marietta has 9 games slated against 6 of the 40 teams mentioned in the poll, including 3 who received a ranking. The Pioneers will once again play Texas-Tyler while in Abilene. The Etta Express will also play host to #27 Rose-Hulman (Ind.) in a doubleheader during its first weekend at Don Schaly Stadium on March 20 and then welcome Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) for a home game on April 1. A home and home series with #2 Wooster is scheduled for March 23 in Wooster and April 8 in Marietta. Texas-Tyler and Washington & Jefferson received votes in the preseason poll. Marietta's final 2 games slated against a team ranked in the preseason poll takes place on April 17 when it plays host to rival #14 Heidelberg for a key Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Don Schaly Stadium.

Marietta recently learned that it will be one of 8 hosts for the 2010 NCAA Division III Regional baseball tournament. The winners of each regional will advance to the NCAA Division III World Series May 26-June 1 in Grand Chute, Wis. [Regional Host Announcement]