LEC releases preseason poll
- Updated: February 14, 2025
PLYMOUTH – The Plymouth State University baseball team has been picked to finish eighth in the Little East Conference (LEC) by the league’s head coaches, as the conference released its Preseason Coaches’ Poll on Friday.
Plymouth State earned 15 points to end up squarely between VTSU Castleton (18) and WestConn (12). Preseason favorite Eastern Connecticut State claimed six first place votes and 60 points, with UMass Boston just behind in second with 57 points (3 FPV). UMass Dartmouth rounds out the top three with 50 points.
Head coach Ryan McIntosh, entering his third season, hopes a blend of experienced upperclassmen with key newcomers will see the Panthers continue the trend of improvement through the conference season. PSU went 4-12 in LEC action last spring, finishing two games out of a playoff spot.
Graduate students Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) and Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) will provide strong leadership. Sokolski, a two-time All-LEC recipient, will likely man center field after leading the Panthers in most offensive categories last spring. His .343 batting average, .485 on base percentage and .581 slugging percentage were all tops on the team, while he slugged eight doubles and five home runs with 18 runs batted in.
The steady Curtis is the starting shortstop. He handled the second most chances last year, posting a .929 fielding percentage with strong defense up the middle.
Junior Brendan Flynn (Arlington, Mass.) gives McIntosh a strong middle of the order bat from the left side. Flynn heated up as the calendar turned to April last year, recorded 18 hits during a seven-game stretch, and led the Panthers with 30 RBI while batting .326.
Senior Cole Johnston (Campton, N.H.) and sophomore Greg Mayo (Dorchester, Mass.) will lead a revamped pitching staff. Mayo was second on the team with 12 appearances last season, while Johnston will make the transition from a primary catcher to a spot on the mound in 2025.
Plymouth State finished 9-20 last spring, playing its home games at Robbie Mills Field in Laconia after late-December flooding left Parish Field unplayable for the entire spring.
Plymouth State opens the season at Bates College on Mar. 8 before playing seven games in a five-day stretch during them Myrtle Beach College Baseball Spring Training. PSU kicks off the LEC slate with a doubleheader at Eastern Connecticut on Mar. 22, with the home opener set for Apr. 8 against Southern Maine.
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| Rank | School (FPV) | Points |
| 1. | Eastern Connecticut (6) | 60 |
| 2. | UMass Boston (3) | 57 |
| 3. | UMass Dartmouth | 50 |
| T4. | Southern Maine | 38 |
| T4. | Keene State | 38 |
| 6. | Rhode Island College | 36 |
| 7. | VTSU Castleton | 18 |
| 8. | Plymouth State | 15 |
| 9. | WestConn | 12 |
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