Annville, PA (January 19, 2026) - The DeSales University baseball team has been picked fourth in the MAC Freedom Baseball preseason poll announced by the conference office on Monday morning and as voted on by the eight MAC Freedom coaches.

The Bulldogs finished with 29 total points. Arcadia University earned the top spot in a tight race for first with 44 points and five first place votes. Misericordia University and Stevens were tied for second with 42 points as the Cougars got two first place votes and the Ducks one.

DeSales finished the 2025 campaign with a 21-18 overall record and a 12-9 mark in the MAC Freedom finishing in fifth place and just missing out on the MAC Freedom postseason tournament.

The 2026 campaign will have a completely new look as head coach Bryan Torresani takes over the program following the retirement of long time head coach Tim Neiman, who had been the leader in the clubhouse for the last 36 seasons finishing his career with 868 wins.  Torresani was an assistant on the team last season. Prior to last season he was an assistant coach at the University of Delaware for one season and spent seven seasons as the head coach at Arcadia University, winning four MAC titles split between the MAC Freedom and MAC Commonwealth.

Top returnees for the Bulldogs include: senior JT Anderosky, sophomore Jacob Rivera, senior Mike Hooker, and graduate student Owen Fischl, all of whom earned All-Conference honors last season.

Anderosky earned All-MAC Freedom Second-Team honors batting .331 with 20 stolen bases and 24 RBIs on the season. Rivera also earned All-MAC Freedom Second-Team honors as well as MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year honors batting .432 with 25 RBIs and six doubles.

Hooker and Fischl were each named Honorable-Mention All-MAC Freedom. Hooker was 3-1 with a 6.30 ERA and led the team in both starts (10) and innings pitched (50). Fischl batted .323 with 26 RBIs and six doubles, posting an on-base percentage of .510 with a team-high 38 walks.

DeSales opens the season with a three-game set at Bridgewater College (VA) the weekend of Feb. 14th/15th. The home opener at Weiland Park is slated for February 27th vs. Ursinus College and DSU will embark on a five-game spring trip to Port Charlotte, FL, playing its first MAC Freedom games of the season on that trip vs. Stevens.

MAC Freedom Preseason Poll
1 –Arcadia - 44 points (5)
2t - Misericordia - 42 points (2)
2t - Stevens - 42 points (1)
4 - DeSales - 29 points
5 - Lebanon Valley - 28 points
6 - FDU-Florham - 17 points
7 - Delaware Valley - 14 points
8 - King's - 8 points