Kats picked second in 2009 SLC preseason baseball poll
1/22/2009 1:00:00 AM | Baseball
After back-to-back Southland Conference post-season tournament championships and consecutive trips to the NCAA national tournament, the Bearkats have been tabbed as one of the front-runners in the 2009 Southland Conference baseball race by vote of the league's head coaches.
Texas-San Antonio, last year's regular season champions, have been predicted to repeat as champions in 2009. The Roadrunners received five first place votes. Texas State-San Marcos and Sam Houston tied for second place, each with 106 points. The Bobcats received four first place votes while the Bearkats had two.
The poll was announced this week by the Southland Conference. The 2009 preseason All-Southland honor squad also was released.
Bearkat third baseman Seth Hammock was a first team preseason All-SLC selection while pitcher Dallas Gallant was named to the second team.
Hammock led Sam Houston with a .380 average last spring, the eighth best single season batting average by a Bearkat at the NCAA Division I level. A senior this season, Hammock totaled 25 multi-hit games as a junior after transferring to SHSU from Baylor.
Gallant posted a 7-1 record in Southland play and a 9-4 record for the season as a freshman pitcher in 2008. He earned all-tournament honors in post-season play as winning pitcher in two of Sam Houston State's four victories on the way to the tournament title. Gallant also started Sam Houston's first round NCAA tournament game at Rice.
Sam Houston State returns 19 of 29 lettermen from the Kats' 37-25 team of 2008. That includes six starting pitcher and three other returning starters.
Baseball season for the Bearkats begins Friday, Feb. 20, with a weekend series with Creighton at Don Sanders Stadium. Sam Houston State will open Southland Conference action on Friday, March 6, with a weekend home series with Texas-Arlington.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE BASEBALL
COACHES' 2009 PRESEASON POLL
|
Pl. |
School |
Pts. |
|
1. |
Texas-San Antonio (5) |
110 |
|
2. |
Texas St-San Marcos (4) |
106 |
|
|
Sam Houston State (2) |
106 |
|
4. |
Lamar (1) |
97 |
|
5. |
Northwestern State |
78 |
|
6. |
Texas-Arlington |
63 |
|
7. |
Southeastern La. |
62 |
|
8. |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
57 |
|
9. |
Central Arkansas |
36 |
|
10. |
Stephen F. Austin |
35 |
|
11. |
McNeese State |
28 |
|
12. |
Nicholls State |
14 |
|
|
|
|
2009 Preseason All-Southland Conference Baseball Teams
|
FIRST TEAM |
|
|
| |
|
1B |
Paul Goldschmidt* |
Texas St-San Marcos |
Jr. |
The Woodlands, Texas |
|
2B |
Adam Witek* |
Texas St-San Marcos |
Sr. |
Schertz, Texas |
|
3B |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Corpus Christi, Texas | |
|
SS |
Ty Summerlin* |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Sr. |
Vancleave, Miss. |
|
C |
Stephen Flora* |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Austin, Texas |
|
DH |
Justin O'Neal* |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Ruston, La. |
|
OF |
Michael Rockett* |
Texas-San Antonio |
Sr. |
Sugarland, Texas |
|
OF |
Michael Choice* |
Texas-Arlington |
So. |
Mansfield, Texas |
|
OF |
Tyler Link* |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
|
P |
Zach Tritz* |
Texas St-San Marcos |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
|
P |
Zach Calhoon* |
Texas-San Antonio |
Jr. |
Spring, Texas |
|
P |
Jimmy Heard* |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Bossier City, Texas |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SECOND TEAM |
|
|
| |
|
1B |
Trey Hernandez |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
So. |
Robstown, Texas |
|
2B |
Josh Huffman* |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
Carrollton, Texas |
|
3B |
Lance Loftin* |
Texas St-San Marcos |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
|
SS |
Shon Landry |
McNeese State |
Sr. |
Orange, Texas |
|
C |
Taylor Freeman* |
McNeese State |
Jr. |
Carney, Okla. |
|
DH |
Chase Lyles** |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Plain Dealing, La. |
|
DH |
Chris Dunkin** |
Lamar |
Sr. |
LaPorte, Texas |
|
OF |
Steven Tucker |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Grand Prairie, Texas |
|
OF |
Aaron Powell |
Texas-San Antonio |
Sr. |
Midland, Texas |
|
OF |
Laurn Randell |
Texas State |
Jr. |
Austin, Texas |
|
P |
Sam Houston State |
So. |
Trinity, Texas | |
|
P |
Ryan Collins |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Sr. |
Chalmette, La. |
|
P |
Ryan Proudfoot |
Texas-San Antonio |
Jr. |
Lindale, Texas |
