The start of the 2020 college baseball season is just 24 days away and, with that in mind, the ASUN announced today the results of preseason All-Conference voting by the leagues' head coaches.
 
Stetson, which was picked to finish third in the preseason poll, placed a pair of sophomore pitchers on the preseason team. Left-handed starting pitcher Daniel Paret, who earned ASUN Freshman of the Year honors last year in addition to second team All-ASUN and second team Freshman All-American, was named the league's preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
During his freshman campaign last spring, Paret posted a 5-4 overall record with a 3.61 ERA in 19 appearances, including 14 starts. He led Stetson with 94.2 innings of work on the mound and became the first Hatters freshman to record at least 100 strikeouts in a season, finishing with 102.
 
A native of Miami Lakes, Paret posted a season-high 12 strikeouts against NJIT, he went 8.0 innings in a game twice and was the bridge between starter Robbie Peto and closer Vlad Nunez, working 2.2 innings, in Stetson's 1-0 no-hit victory over Florida State on May 8.
 
As a member of the DeLand Suns over the summer, Paret posted a 0.94 ERA in six outings and allowed just 15 hits in 28.2 innings of work, all singles. He had 33 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.
 
Paret was joined on the ASUN preseason All-Conference team by right-handed reliever Danny Garcia, who led the Hatters in appearances last year with 28 and set a new program single season record with a 1.22 ERA in 59 innings of work. He posted a 5-1 record with two saves on the year.
 
Garcia, who was named to the ASUN All-Freshman team in addition to earning first team freshman All-America honors, was also selected to the ASUN All-Tournament team last spring after working 9.0 innings of scoreless relief over two games, with four innings against FGCU and five against Jacksonville.
 
A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Garcia spent his summer in Washington pitching for the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League. He appeared in 18 games over the summer, posting a 3-3 record with a 4.81 ERA.
 
Paret, Garcia and the rest of the 2020 Hatters will officially begin preparations for the new season on Friday evening with the first team practice at Melching Field. Practice is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
 
In addition to the start of fall practice, the Stetson Baseball program will hold its annual golf tournament on Friday afternoon at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood. The tournament is scheduled for a noon start and a limited number of spots are still available for interested players. Visit HERE for more information.
 
On Saturday morning the Hatters will square off against a team of alums in the annual Alumni Game. Batting practice is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with the game set to start at 11 a.m. All former Stetson Baseball players are welcome to participate in the game. Contact Mark Michaud at mmichaud1@stetson.edu or call 386-822-8724 to participate. Admission to the Alumni game, and all Stetson baseball practices, is free.
 
The final event before the start of the 2020 season is the annual Dick Westervelt First Pitch Banquet. This year that event is scheduled for Friday, February 7, at the Wayne Sanborn Center at 815 S. Alabama Avenue in DeLand.
 
The Dick Westervelt First Pitch Banquet gives fans a chance to meet and interact with the 2020 squad, hear from the Stetson coaches on the upcoming season, and see the top players from the 2019 season recognized for their performances on the field and in the class room.
 
The evening will begin with a happy hour starting at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the main program to follow. The cost to attend the event is $20 per person and there will be a cash bar available.
 
To get tickets for the Dick Westervelt First Pitch Banquet, contact Stacy Turner at slturner@stetson.edu or by calling 386-822-8100.
 
The 2020 Stetson Baseball season is scheduled to start on Friday night, February 14, against Manhattan College. The Hatters are scheduled to play 37 games at Melching Field, including a three-game series against TCU (April 17-19) and single games against Florida (February 26), Ohio State (March 6), South Florida (April 7), FIU (April 14), UCF (April 28) and Florida State (May 6).
 
For information on season tickets, contact the Stetson Athletics Ticket Office at 386-738-HATS (4287) or complete the season ticket information form HERE.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.