FRISCO, Texas – Sam Houston State is favored to defend its Southland Conference regular-season baseball championship by a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the conference announced Wednesday.
The Bearkats were the overwhelming favorites in the both the coaches’ and SID polls, receiving eight first-place votes and 138 points from the coaches and eight first-place votes and 137 points from the SIDs. Sam Houston returns 16 letterwinners, five starters and nine pitchers from a Bearkat squad that won its third consecutive regular-season title and advanced to an NCAA regional for the sixth time in eight years. Among the returning players are 2014 first-team all-conference selections senior outfielders Colt Atwood and Hayden Simerly. Sam Houston, which finished the 2014 season with a 43-19 overall record, went 22-8 in conference play, recording its third consecutive 20-win season in conference.
The coaches and SIDs were in agreement on second through fourth place. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is slated to finish second in both polls, compiling 128 points and four first–place votes form the coaches and 130 points and two first–place votes from the SIDs.
Southeastern Louisiana is picked to finish third in both polls with each poll offering one first-place vote for the 2014 Southland Conference Tournament champions. The Lions are returning 20 letterwinners including nine pitchers from the championship squad.
Northwestern State is listed to end the season in fourth place receiving 109 points from the coaches and 108 points from the SIDs including two first-place votes. The Demons return 22 letterwinners from their third-place squad including five starting pitchers.
The coaches selected Nicholls to end the season in fifth place with 98 points while the SIDs had the Colonels set to finish seventh with 85 points. Nicholls completed the 2014 season with a 33-26 record and 21-10 in Southland action for a second-place seeding leading into the tournament.
McNeese State finished fifth in the SID poll with 91 points while the coaches voted the Cowboys to finish sixth with 90 points. McNeese State tallied a 30-28 overall record and 17-13 Southland mark in 2014 and went 2-2 in the conference tournament. The team returns 17 letterwinners including six pitchers.
The SIDs slated Central Arkansas to finish sixth with 90 points while the coaches placed the Bears to finish the season in seventh place.
Coaches and SIDs were in agreement for the remaining six slots as Lamar is slated eighth with 77 points from the coaches and 79 points from the SIDs. The Cardinals ended the season 31-25 and 16-15 in league action.
Stephen F. Austin is slated to finish in ninth place with 49 points from the coaches and 52 points from the SIDs. The Lumberjacks ended the 2014 season with a 20-35 overall record and an 11-19 Southland mark.
After just one season in the conference, Houston Baptist is slated to finish 10th, where they ended the 2014 season. The Huskies tallied 48 points from the coaches and 50 points from the SIDs. HBU returns 20 letterwinners including four starting pitchers.
After their first year of transitioning into the Southland Conference, Abilene Christian and UIW are slated to finish 11th and 12th, respectively. The Wildcats totaled 27 points from the coaches and 28 points from the SIDs while the Cardinals tallied 26 points from each the coaches and SIDs. Additionally, neither team is eligible for postseason play until the 2018 season. New Orleans rounded out the preseason poll in the 13th spot with 20 points from the coaches and the SIDs.
Opening day of the Southland season is Feb. 13 with conference play beginning March 6. The Southland Conference tournament will be played May 20-23 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.
Coaches
Rk. University (First-Place Votes) Points
- Sam Houston State (8) 138
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4) 128
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Southeastern Louisiana (1) 115
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Northwestern State 109
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Nicholls 98
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McNeese State 90
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Central Arkansas 89
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Lamar 77
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Stephen F. Austin 49
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Houston Baptist 48
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Abilene Christian 27
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UIW 26
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New Orleans 20
Sports Information Directors
Rk. University (First-Place Votes) Points
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Sam Houston State (8) 137
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2) 130
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Southeastern Louisiana (1) 119
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Northwestern State (2) 108
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McNeese State 91
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Central Arkansas 90
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Nicholls 85
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Lamar 79
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Stephen F. Austin 52
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Houston Baptist 50
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Abilene Christian 28
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UIW 26
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New Orleans 20
