FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
DENVER – Dallas Baptist has been selected as the favorite to win the 2013 Western Athletic Conference regular season baseball crown in a vote by the league’s 10 head coaches.
The Patriots received 80 points and eight first place votes after a 41-19 season last year as an independent. DBU advanced to its second-straight NCAA Tournament last season. DBU joins the WAC this season after playing as a Division I independent the past nine seasons. As an independent, the Patriots have made three trips to the NCAA tournament, including an NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2011.
Texas State ranked second with 65 points and one first place votes. Texas State was followed by 2012 WAC regular season co-champion New Mexico State with 60 points.
2012 WAC regular season co-champion Sacramento State was selected fourth with 54 points and one first place vote. The Hornets dropped a 4-3 decision in 13 innings to Fresno State in the WAC Tournament championship game last season.
CSU Bakersfield was picked fifth with 47 points. UT Arlington received 45 points to earn the No. 6 spot, followed by Louisiana Tech in seventh with 41 points. UTSA was eighth with 24 points. San Jose State received 23 points to place ninth, while Seattle U was 10th with 11 points.
The 51st year of WAC baseball begins Friday, February 15 when each of the league’s 10 teams will open regular season play. The WAC Tournament will be held in Grand Prairie, Texas at QuikTrip Park, May 22-26. The top eight teams will advance to the tournament.
2013 WAC Baseball Coaches’ Poll:
| Rank | Team (first place votes) | Points |
| 1. | Dallas Baptist (8) | 80 |
| 2. | Texas State (1) | 65 |
| 3. | New Mexico State | 60 |
| 4. | Sacramento State (1) | 54 |
| 5. | CSU Bakersfield | 47 |
| 6. | UT Arlington | 45 |
| 7. | Louisiana Tech | 41 |
| 8. | UTSA | 24 |
| 9. | San Jose State | 23 |
| 10. | Seattle U | 11 |
