Jackets Place Seven on HCAC Preseason Watch List

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2010 preseason coaches' poll on Tuesday. Defiance was picked to finish sixth in the league, while having seven student-athletes named as HCAC Players to Watch.

The Yellow Jackets ended the 2009 campaign with a 4-6 overall mark and their 3-4 league record placed DC in a tie for fifth in the HCAC standings. Defiance is set to return 36 lettermen and 12 starters from that unit.

Brian Baumgart, Kent Corthell, Rick Powell and Nick Wiedenhoft represent four-of-eight returning starters on the offensive side of the ball for the Purple and Gold in 2010 and were all selected to the HCAC Watch List for the upcoming season.

Those four will lead an offensive unit poised for a rebound season, as Defiance returns most of its starting lineup and nearly all of its playmakers from one year ago. Baumgart and Corthell will pace the offensive line once again, after each started all 10 games last season. Second-Team All-HCAC quarterback, Rick Powell, and wide receiver Nick Wiedenhoft are expected to fuel the attack, as Powell's 1,242 total yards of offense and Wiedenhoft's 368 receiving yards were team high's in 2009.

The HCAC's top-ranked scoring defense (22.1) from one year ago will look to be the strength of Defiance once again in 2010. Austin Hedderly, Kyle Longsdorf and Anthony Sierra all figure to play major roles for the Jackets and were each tabbed as HCAC Players to Watch.

Hedderly and Sierra were each voted as First-Team All-HCAC performers last season, while Longsdorf was named Second-Team All-HCAC and Third-Team All-North Region for his accomplishments on the gridiron, which included an HCAC-best 116 tackles from his linebacker position. Hedderly anchored the defensive line with 46 tackles and Sierra logged 28 tackles and five interceptions in his first season as a cornerback for the Jackets.

Defiance garnered 34 points in the preseason poll, ahead of Anderson (27), Earlham (23) and Bluffton (18). Mount St. Joseph (80) scored eight-of-nine first-place votes to earn the tag of preseason favorite, edging out Franklin (71) for the top spot. Rose-Hulman (56), Hanover (48) and Manchester (48) rounded out the top five.

DC will open its 2010 schedule on September 4 at Muskingum, with the game slated to begin at 1:00 pm.