PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The reigning American Athletic Conference baseball champion, Houston, was tabbed as the 2018 favorite by the league’s nine coaches in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll.
After earning the 2017 American Pitcher of the Year honor, Houston junior southpaw Trey Cumbie was voted the league’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Last year’s Rookie Position Player of the Year, Rylan Thomas, of UCF was named Preseason Player of the Year.
The American has had 10 NCAA tournament bids over the last three years with UCF, Houston and USF making the trip last season. For the second time in three years, the Cougars were chosen as one of 16 teams to host an NCAA regional last season. UCF shared the 2017 regular season title with Houston.
Houston, which received five first-place votes and 59 points in the preseason poll, posted the most wins in the league with a 42-21 record and 15-9 conference mark last season, falling to Texas A&M 4-3 in the final game of the NCAA Houston Regional. The 40-win season was the fourth under head coach Todd Whitting. The NCAA Regional appearance was the program’s 21st. Cumbie led the conference with a 2.04 ERA, four complete games, two shutouts and a 10-2 record through 101.1 innings pitches. The All-America lefty fanned 82 batters in 2017. At the plate, Houston led the conference with a .464 slugging percentage 169 runs, 11 triples, 150 RBIs and 31 homers.
UConn was picked second in the preseason poll with 50 points and three first-place votes. The Huskies had three players represented on preseason all-conference list after going 33-25 and 14-10 in conference play last season. The Huskies’ 2017 campaign came to an end with a loss to Houston in the American Athletic Conference Championship semifinals. UConn junior left-handed pitcher Tim Cate and junior catcher Zac Susi were unanimous selections on the preseason all-conference team. Sophomore shortstop Anthony Prato batted .303 last year with 33 RBIs and 10 doubles to join Cate and Susi on the list. Susi hit .286 with 40 RBIs and nine home runs. Cate pitched 75.2 innings and fanned the third-most batters in the conference (102) while holding a 3.33 ERA. UConn also returns sophomore starter Mason Feole and senior closer John Russell, who were each all-conference honorees last year.
UCF was picked to finish third this year with 49 points, as the Knights placed the most players on the preseason all-conference team with four. UCF registered the league’s top record (40-22) and went 15-9 in The American to share the regular season title with Houston. After finishing in last place in the conference in 2016, UCF advanced to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional in 2017 under first-year head coach Greg Lovelady, who was named The American Coach of the Year. The Knights had the conference’s top batting average in 2017 (.287) with a .421 slugging percentage, 135 RBIs and league-high 245 hits. Thomas batted .303 with 53 RBIs and 14 homers. His .530 slugging percentage ranked ninth in the league. Thomas was joined on the preseason all-conference list by pitchers Joe Sheridan and Bryce Tucker, as well as second baseman Matthew Mika. Sheridan posted a 10-4 record to tie the league for most wins, while Tucker, the Knights sophomore closer, had nine saves and a 1.66 ERA.
ECU was chosen fourth in the poll with 45 points. The Pirates went 32-28 last year with a 7-17 American record. ECU advanced to The American Championship final before falling to Houston. The Pirates had the top overall batting average in the conference (.291) and tied for the second-most hits with 601. The Pirates return sophomore Spencer Brickhouse who tied for eighth in the league with 10 homers last year as a freshman.
USF earned a bid in the 2017 NCAA tournament and played in the Gainesville Regional as the No. 2 seed. The Bulls were picked fifth in the preseason poll with 43 points and one first-place vote. Three USF players were voted to the preseason all-conference team. Senior outfielder Duke Stunkel batted .344, which ranked fifth in The American and returns to the Bulls’ lineup as a preseason all-conference selection. Pitchers Shane McClanahan and Peter Strzelecki join Stunkel on the preseason all-conference list. Both pitchers return to the USF staff that ranked No. 2 in the league with a 3.24 ERA, holding batters to hitting a league-low .227, while accumulating a league-high 620 strikeouts. McClanahan was a unanimous preseason selection after fanning the second-most batters in the conference (104). Strzelecki was No. 2 in the league, averaging a 2.42 ERA and holding opponents to a .222 average. Head coach Billy Mohl will enter his first year at the helm of the Bulls after spending the past three seasons as assistant for USF.
Wichita State was picked sixth with 29 points to enter its inaugural American Athletic Conference season. The Shockers went 28-30 and 10-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference last year. Junior third baseman Alec Bohm made the preseason all-conference team after batting .305 with 44 runs, 71 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, and 40 RBIs in 2017. Junior outfielder Greyson Jenista hit .320 with nine home runs, 14 doubles and 41 RBIs to join Bohm on the preseason all-conference list. Both players were all-MVC selections last season.
Memphis is coming off a 30-29 campaign with an 8-16 conference record in 2017. The Tigers were voted seventh in the poll with senior Tyler Webb making the preseason all-conference team. Webb hit .305 with six home runs, 25 RBIs and 16 doubles last year. He ranked second in conference games with 23 runs scored and tied for third with nine doubles.
Tulane took the eighth place spot in the poll with 18 points. Sophomore outfielder Grant Witherspoon picked up a preseason all-conference nod. Witherspoon tied for fifth in the league with 48 runs scored. Tulane went 27-21 last year and 13-11 in conference play.
Cincinnati came in ninth place in the preseason poll with 12 points after going 28-30 with a 10-14 conference record. The Bearcats return four of their top five hitters from last year and led the league with a .982 fielding percentage. Cincinnati welcomes first year head coach Scott Googins to the clubhouse after spending 12 years with crosstown rival Xavier.
2018 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
Team (First-Place Votes)
Points
1. Houston (5) 59
2. UConn (3) 50
3. UCF 49
4. ECU 45
5. USF (1) 43
6. Wichita State 29
7. Memphis 19
8. Tulane 18
9. Cincinnati 12
2018 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Pos Name 2017 Statistics
P Joe Sheridan – UCF 10-4, 3.25 ERA, 72.0 IP, 64 K
P Tim Cate – UConn 4-3, 3.33 ERA, 75.2 IP, 102 K
P Trey Cumbie * – Houston 10-2, 2.04 ERA, 101.1 IP, 82 K
P Shane McClanahan * – USF 4-2, 3.20 ERA, 76.0 IP, 104 K
P Peter Strzelecki – USF 3-4, 2.42 ERA, 67.0 IP, 62 K
RP Bryce Tucker * – UCF 2-2, 1.66 ERA, 9 SV, 38.0 IP, 55 K
C Zac Susi * – UConn .286, 2 HR, 40 RBI, 9 2B, 2 3B
1B Rylan Thomas – UCF .303, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 11 2B, .530 SLG
2B Matthew Mika – UCF .278, 0 HR, 28 RBI, 12 2B, 25 SB
SS Anthony Prato – UConn .303, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 10 2B, 14 SB
3B Alec Bohm – Wichita State .305, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 13 2B, 2 3B, 5 SB
OF Tyler Webb – Memphis .305, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 16 2B
OF Duke Stunkel – USF .344, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 16 2B
OF Grant Witherspoon – Tulane .299, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 10 2B, 10 SB
OF Greyson Jenista – Wichita State .320, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 14 2B, 6 SB
* unanimous selection
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1B Rylan Thomas UCF .303, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 11 2B, .530 SLG
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
LHP Trey Cumbie Houston 10-2, 2.04 ERA, 101.1 IP, 82 K
