GREENWOOD, Ind. – It comes as no surprise that Trevecca Nazarene, winner of three consecutive league crowns, was picked at the top of the new Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll on Tuesday.
The Trojans were the favorite once again in the voting conducted by the G-MAC coaches with a total of 35 points (five first-place votes).
Last spring, TNU culminated a 21-3 conference record with a convincing win in the G-MAC Championship final against Ohio Valley.
The Trojans finished with 36 total wins in 2015 as head coach Ryan Schmalz has now won over 80 percent (50-12) of his conference games since TNU entered the league in 2013.
Trevecca Nazarene will miss various pieces of a successful puzzle, including St. Louis Cardinals’ farmhand and NCAA DII All-American Hunter Newman, along with G-MAC Pitcher of the Year Michael Purcell.
But the Trojans are motivated more than ever to get back where they were and then some with the conference’s first automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional on the line.
The margin has thinned a little with Alderson Broaddus and Kentucky Wesleyan giving chase close behind with 30 points and 28 points in the voting, respectively.
The coaches thought the Battlers were worthy of two first-place votes after finishing last year with an impressive 19-5 league record behind a stable of quality arms (Dobnak, Stage, Boatto). As a result, Luke Harrigan was tabbed the G-MAC Coach of the Year by his peers.
AB exited the conference tournament a little earlier than it would have liked, but still have to be excited about the number of returners back in the fold this spring.
The Panthers’ Troy Paris mashed a G-MAC-best 27 doubles en route to All-American status while another slugger, Johnathan Eberhardt, is a viable All-American candidate in his own right.
TNU, AB and KWC, all finished 2015 with 30 wins or better.
Separated by just one point for fourth and fifth was Cedarville (19 points) and Ohio Valley (18 points). The Fighting Scots announced the retirement of longtime head coach Bob Crawford and start a new era under athletic director Chad Porter. OVU was the talk of the tournament last year, pulling multiple upsets on its way to the championship final vs. TNU.
Davis & Elkins is in similar territory with the promotion of Mason Heyne to head coach. Salem International rounded out the voting in the seven-team G-MAC sport.
Opening day around the G-MAC is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Jan. 29. All times listed on G-MACsports.com are Eastern Standard Time and all times are subject to change.
2016 G-MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Trevecca Nazarene (5 first-place votes)
2. Alderson Broaddus (2 first-place votes)
3. Kentucky Wesleyan
4. Cedarville
5. Ohio Valley
6. Davis & Elkins
7. Salem International