ERIE, Pa. – The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) released the 2022 Preseason Poll for baseball on Wednesday, projecting the Behrend Lions to finish atop the conference as well as naming Thomas Zbezinski (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

The Lions finished 2021 with a 10-4 conference record, good enough for second place to end the regular season. Behrend went on to win the AMCC Championship, defeating La Roche in three games to earn the sixth conference title in program history. Following the conference championship, the Lions made an impressive run in the NCAA Tournament, grabbing victories over Rochester (11-1) and N.C. Wesleyan (7-3) before being eliminated by No. 4 Marietta (7-3).

Behrend is returning six All-Conference selections from 2021 including Zbezisnki, the 2022 AMCC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. The senior starting pitcher is coming off a career year in which he finished with a 1.68 earned run average and 11.89 strikeouts per nine. Zbezinski appeared in 10 games, starting all 10 and compiling a record of 8-1.  Zbezisnki capped off 2021 as a First Team All-AMCC selection as well as earning regional honors from ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com.

The Lions will open play on the road against Eastern Mennonite on Saturday, February 26 for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.