CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – With the 2019 Division II baseball season coming up fast on the horizon, the Nova Southeastern baseball team received its second national ranking of the month, as Perfect Game lists the Sharks at No. 18 in their preseason poll. The national publication also released its Top Division II Prospects, naming Christian Demby, Brock Minich and Garrett Wolforth among the top-40.
 
Listing at No. 12 on the PG Top 40 Prospects list, utility right-hander Demby (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) batted .302 in 30 games last year for the Sharks, logging seven doubles with 23 RBI and 16 runs – also going a perfect 7-for-7 on steals. Demby tossed 5.0 innings a year ago. Next for NSU at No. 17, right-handed pitcher Minich (Jupiter, Fla.) threw 6.2 innings for the Sharks in 2018, but drew attention in 20 innings with the Coastal Plain League's Forest City Owls, logging a 4.50 ERA with three saves and 19 strikeouts. At No. 36, catcher Wolforth is new to NSU but collected 15 doubles, a triple and six home runs in 2018 for Dallas Baptist, earning 31 RBI and 36 runs. In 2017, Wolforth earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference, All-MVC Defensive Team honors and previously played some summer ball in the prestigious Cape Cod League.
 
Perfect game noted that while the biggest bats from 2018 may have graduated, there is still a wealth of players to power NSU into 2019. Naturally, top returning hitter Samuel Duran made the preview, but also referenced were fellow outfielder Nathan Chevalier, third baseman Ian Acevedo and DI transfers Brandon Chinea (Tennessee) and Wolforth (DBU). On the mound, Minich gets the nod from PG, as well as right-hander Jarret Krzyzanowski and newcomers LHP Matt Ornelas, LHP Nathan Campbell and RHP JP Williams.

Topping the Perfect Game poll is North Greenville, which the Sharks meet in a three-game series in Tigerville, S.C., Feb. 15-16. The Sunshine State Conference's top-voted team, Tampa comes in at No. 2, while Florida Southern comes in at No. 9.
 
The Sharks kick off the 2019 slate on February 1-2 with Tusculum and then Catawba coming to the NSU Baseball Complex.