Special to The Sun
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–The coaches have voted and the Florida Gators are once again expected to finish near the top of the Southeastern Conference baseball standings.
The league’s 14 coaches voted in the 28th SEC preseason poll, released Thursday, and selected Vanderbilt as the 2019 favorite. LSU received four first-place votes and Florida received two first-place votes. UF was picked to finish second in the SEC Eastern Division behind the Commodores.
In addition, junior Tyler Dyson was voted as a Second Team Preseason All-SEC selection. Dyson enters the year with a 9-3 career record and 3.93 earned run average. He’s expected to take over as the Friday night starter following the departure of first round MLB Draft picks Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar.
Florida will open its season with a three-game series against Long Beach State beginning Friday, Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Season and single-game tickets for the 2019 Gator Baseball season are on sale and can be purchased online through FloridaGators.com or by calling the Gator Ticket Office at 1-800-34-GATOR.
SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87
2. Florida (4) – 81
3. Georgia (1) – 68
4. South Carolina – 53
5. Tennessee – 40
6. Kentucky – 30
7. Missouri – 26
Western Division
1. LSU (10) – 88
2. Ole Miss (1) – 65
3. Arkansas (1) – 59
4. Auburn (1) – 57
5. Texas A&M (1) – 48
6. Mississippi State – 47
7. Alabama – 21
SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (6), LSU (5), Florida (2), Arkansas (1)
() – First place votes
SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Philip Clarke, Vanderbilt
1B: Cole Zabowski, Ole Miss
2B: Austin Martin, Vanderbilt*
2B: Noah Campbell, South Carolina*
3B: Aaron Schunk, Georgia
SS: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
DH/UTL: T.J. Collett, Kentucky
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
SP: Zack Thompson, Kentucky
RP: Matt Cronin, Arkansas
Second Team
C: Mason Meadows, Georgia
1B: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
2B: LJ Talley, Georgia
3B: Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss
SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
OF: JJ Bleday, Vanderbilt
OF: Antoine Duplantis, LSU
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
DH/UTL: Aaron Schunk, Georgia*
DH/UTL: Chase Cockrell, Ole Miss*
SP: John Doxakis, Texas A&M
SP: Tyler Dyson, Florida
RP: Parker Caracci, Ole Miss
*Tie (ties are not broken)
