BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Coming off a strong 2015 season in which they went 46-15, won the MCAC Tournament Championship, and came within a game of reaching the Avista-NAIA World Series the Bruins open the 2016 season ranked 12th in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll.
The Bruins, who began last season ranked 12th in the Preseason Poll, received 292 points in the poll after finishing last season ranked 16th. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) is the preseason number one, receiving 467 points in the poll, 19 points ahead of No. 2 St. Thomas (Fla.). Faulkner (Ala.), Tabor (Kan.) – who defeated the Bruins to reach the World Series – and Oklahoma City round out the top five.
Sixth-year head coach Duane Monlux will lead the Bruins onto the ballfield once again this season. He has accumulated a 202-85-3 (.702) record at Bellevue and a 434-252-5 (.632) career record which includes nine years coaching at his alma mater, Dickinson State University.
Three Bruins off last year's team signed professionally in the offseason. Stephan Meyer was an 18th round selection of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Osvaldo Gonzalez and Steve Sarcone signed independent league contracts. Gonzalez signed with the Florence Freedom and Sarcone with the Washington Wild Things.
Bellevue, which will play their inaugural season in the North Star Athletic Association is the only member of their new league ranked in the Preseason Poll. University of Jamestown is receiving votes in the poll.
Bellevue opens the 2016 campaign on Saturday, Feb. 13 with a double-header at national powerhouse Oklahoma City University. The Bruins take on MidAmerica Nazarene University at 12:30 p.m. before playing Oklahoma City at 3 p.m. Eight of the Bruin's first nine games of the season are against teams that are nationally ranked or receiving votes, with five of their first six games coming against top five teams.
