Southland Conference Baseball 2010 Preseason Polls

February 2, 2010
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Texas State Favored In Coaches’ & SID Polls

FRISCO, Texas – Texas State is favored to win its fourth Southland Conference regular-season baseball championship by a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the conference announced Tuesday.

The Bobcats received five first-place votes and 114 points in the coaches’ poll and five first-place votes and 112 points in the SID poll. Texas State returns 19 letterwinners, five starters and nine pitchers from a Bobcat squad that won its first regular-season title since 1997 and posted its best record in program history with 41 overall wins and 24 league wins.

Sam Houston State, the three-time defending Southland tournament champions, was picked to finish a close second to Texas State. The Bearkats received four first-place votes and 107 points in the coaches’ poll and four first-place votes and 103 points in the SID poll.

The remaining first-place votes went to Lamar, which came in third in both polls with three first-place votes and 105 points in the coaches’ poll and two first-place votes and 100 points in the SID poll. Less than 12 points separate the top three teams in both polls.

Both polls had the same order of finish from the first-place team through the eighth-place team. After Lamar, Southeastern Louisiana was picked fourth, followed by UTSA, UT Arlington, Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin.

The only difference in both the coaches’ and SID polls came at the ninth and 10th-place rankings. Central Arkansas was picked ninth in the coaches’ poll and 10th in the SID poll and McNeese State was picked ninth in the SID poll and 10th in the coaches’ poll.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Nicholls round out both polls as the 11th- and 12th-place teams, respectively.

Opening day of the Southland season is Feb. 19 with conference play beginning March 5. For the second consecutive season, the Southland Conference tournament will be played at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas. The event will be held May 26-29.

Southland Conference Coaches Poll

Pl.       School (first-place votes)……………………….. Pts.

1.         Texas State (5)………………………………………. 114

2.         Sam Houston State (4)………………………….. 107

3.         Lamar (3)………………………………………………. 105

4.         Southeastern Louisiana…………………………… 84

5.         UTSA……………………………………………………….. 77

6.         UT Arlington……………………………………………. 73

7.         Northwestern State………………………………… 65

8.         Stephen F. Austin……………………………………. 50

9.         Central Arkansas……………………………………… 39

10.      McNeese State……………………………………….. 34

11.      Texas A&M-Corpus Christi………………………. 23

12.      Nicholls…………………………………………………… 17

Sports Information Directors POLL

Pl.       School (first-place votes)……………………….. Pts.

1.         Texas State (6)………………………………………. 112

2.         Sam Houston State (4)………………………….. 103

3.         Lamar (2)………………………………………………. 100

4.         Southeastern Louisiana…………………………… 90

5.         UTSA……………………………………………………….. 83

6.         UT Arlington……………………………………………. 76

7.         Northwestern State………………………………… 62

8.         Stephen F. Austin……………………………………. 46

9.         McNeese State……………………………………….. 41

10.      Central Arkansas……………………………………… 40

11.      Texas A&M-Corpus Christi………………………. 21

12.      Nicholls…………………………………………………… 17

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