February 20, 2008

RIPON, Wis. – The Red Hawk baseball team has been as successful as anyone from the Midwest Conference in recent memory, making the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past nine seasons, including five consecutive years. They will once again be looked at to contend in the 2008 season, as they were voted to finish second in the MWC North Division in the MWC baseball preseason coaches poll, which was released Wednesday by the conference office.

Ripon, which received one of the five first-place votes, was picked to finish one spot behind defending MWC regular season champions St. Norbert College. The Green Knights, who were beaten by Ripon in last year's MWC Tournament held in DePere, received the remaining first-place votes. Beloit, which finished in third place last year, was picked to finish in that same spot, followed by Carroll and Lawrence.

The South Division was led by Illinois College, who split the four possible first-place votes with Monmouth. The Fighting Scots were selected to finish second, followed by Grinnell and Knox.

Ripon will begin their quest for a sixth consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament will begin in early-March, when the Red Hawks will travel to Tampa, Fla. for their spring trip. The first pitch of the 2008 season will be March 9th at 11:30 a.m. against Rensselar Polytechnic Institute (NY) at St. Leo University in Tampa.