Delta State head baseball coach Mike Kinnison will have his team ready for the start of the year as the Statesmen are preseason picked to win the Gulf South Conference.
West Alabama recorded 18 points for fifth place, followed by West Georgia, with 14. Rounding out the eight-team preseason coaches' poll was Christian Brothers, with seven points.
DSU also enters the season ranked No. 2 in the nation in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Top 40 Preseason Poll, while UWF and UNA (tied with Missouri-St. Louis) collected the No. 16 and No. 30 positions, respectively.
2013 GSC Preseason Baseball Team
Ten 2012 All-GSC First Team standouts highlight the 20-member 2013 Baseball Preseason All-GSC Team. The squad consists of 14 seniors, six of which are returning First Team All-GSC members from a year ago.
Overall, Delta State returned the most players with five, followed by West Florida and North Alabama, which added four each. Alabama-Huntsville and West Alabama both had two players, while Christian Brothers, West Georgia and Valdosta State all rounded out the contingent with one player each.
The 2012 GSC Freshman of the Year, VSU catcher Bryant Hayman, headlines the list of 2012 All-GSC First Teamers after turning in a .333 batting average, including eight home runs. Justin Riddle and Drew Eiland (UAH), Jordan Chovanec and Colton Mitchell (DSU), Chad Boughner (UNA), Bobby Parker (UWF), D.J. Turo (UWA), Evan Ten Second-Team returners round out the 2013 GSC Preseason Baseball Team. Delta State (Sam Kidd, Michael Vinson and Josh Branstetter), North Alabama (Josh Cyr, Josh Carpenter and Josh Doyle) and West Florida (Dustin Saulmon, Jake Stephens and Jordan DeLorenzo) all return three players each. Barry Meeks returns for West Alabama and closes out the list.