Salve Regina baseball ranked No. 1 in New England

Salve Regina baseball has vaulted to No. 1 in the region in the latest New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association poll after a 7-1 week raised the Seahawks’ overall record to 27-5. The Seahawks also captured the Commonwealth Coast Conference regular-season title with four games remaining on their league schedule.

The team continues to rise in the national polls as well, reaching No. 13 in the American Baseball Coaches Association poll and No. 18 in the D3Baseball.com rankings.

“My biggest fear was that we were going to be just another new team in the Top 25, and let it get to our head and be out of the poll the following week because we stopped working hard,” said fourth-year head coach Eric Cirella. “But that was not the case. Now we have been ranked for about a month and the guys continue to fight and grind and find ways to win games.”

With eight regulars batting over .300 and a pitching staff that limits opponents to a .218 batting average, Salve Regina has the ingredients for success each time it takes the field.

“I am proud of the guys more than I can articulate,” Cirella said. “The coaches and players have bought into what we are trying to accomplish and most guys are still getting better. But being ranked No. 1 in New England or 13th in the country does not give us any added benefit when we step on the field. It is something we have to back up every game and prove that we are deserving because everyone we are going to play will be trying to prove the opposite.”