SPARTANBURG, S.C. – 2019 Southern Conference regular-season champion Samford was picked to win the 2020 league title in the preseason media poll, while Wofford was picked to win this year’s SoCon baseball crown by the league’s nine head coaches.
Wofford just edged out Samford in the coaches poll with 60 points and five-first place votes, while the Bulldogs received 59 points and three first-place votes. In the media poll, Samford garnered 144 points and 11 first-place votes to be selected as the media’s favorite for the second straight year. Wofford was not far behind with 135 points and four first-place votes.
Wofford led the league with seven selection on this year’s preseason all-conference teams, including last year’s coaches selection for freshman of the year and 2020 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American Hayes Heinecke on the first team. The Terriers return 25 players from last year’s squad that finished just one win short of their second trip to an NCAA regional. Wofford also brings back eight position starters and 12 pitchers after posting a 36-25 record last year with the second-best mark of 14-9 in conference play.
Samford placed six on this year’s preseason all-conference teams, highlighted by the preseason pitcher of the year, preseason All-American and first-team selection Zach Hester. Returning for the reigning regular-season champions are 28 letterwinners that helped the Bulldogs to a 42-19 (20-5) record last year. Samford also returns the 2019 coach of the year, Casey Dunn, for his 16th as the Bulldogs’ skipper.
Mercer finished third in both polls, with 51 points and one first-place vote in the coaches poll and 118 points and two first-place votes in the media poll after winning the 2019 Southern Conference Baseball Championship. The Bears return 22 players, including eight position starters and 11 pitchers from last year. Mercer will also get a boost from the return of outfielder Brandon Mitchie and designated hitter Le Bassett, two standout players that missed the 2019 season due to injury.
ETSU and UNC Greensboro tied for fourth in the coaches poll with 39 points each, while UNCG took the fourth spot in the media poll with 99 points and ETSU was not far behind in fifth with 86 points. ETSU posted a 37-21 (14-12) record last season and returns six position starters and one starting pitcher from that squad. Overall, the Bucs return a total of 20 players from the previous season. UNCG returns 22 players and seven position starters from last year’s squad that finished third in the league. The Spartans are under new leadership as former East Carolina head coach Billy Goodwin embarks on his first season at the helm.
In the coaches poll, Western Carolina slotted in at sixth with 28 points while the media picked the Catamounts to finish seventh with 55 points. Preseason player of the year Justice Bigbie headlines the 20 returners for the Catamounts, with seven starting position players and two starting pitchers returning.
Furman took the sixth spot in the media poll with 72 points, with 22 players set to return from last year’s team. The Paladins tied with VMI for seventh in the coaches poll with 19 points, while the Keydets were slotted in at eighth in the media poll with 34 points. VMI returns 21 players from last year’s squad with seven position starters and three starting pitchers back for another year.
The Citadel rounded the coaches and media polls in ninth. The Bulldogs return 15 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including six position starters and four starting pitchers.
The 2020 season opens for all nine league teams on Friday, Feb. 14. This season’s SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases will return to Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina, from May 19-24 and will include all nine teams.
2020 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Place Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Wofford (5) 60
2. Samford (3) 59
3. Mercer (1) 51
T4. ETSU 39
T4. UNCG 39
6. Western Carolina 28
T7. Furman 19
T7. VMI 19
9. The Citadel 10
2020 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Place Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Samford (11) 114
2. Wofford (4) 135
3. Mercer (2) 118
4. UNCG 99
5. ETSU 86
6. Furman 72
7. Western Carolina 55
8. VMI 34
9. The Citadel 22
