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+---- Thread: UTA baseball receiving votes in Collegiate baseball's preseason poll (/thread-668416.html)
UTA baseball receiving votes in Collegiate baseball's preseason poll - FoUTASportscaster - 12-20-2013 08:14 PM
Via UTAMAVS.com
ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington is receiving votes in Collegiate Baseball’s Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I preseason baseball poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum. The Mavericks head into their first season in the Sun Belt Conference coming off a Western Athletic Conference co-championship.
Cal. St. Fullerton is ranked No. 1 in the pre-season baseball poll. The Titans, which finished second at the Fullerton Super Regional last season to eventual national champion UCLA after posting an overall 51-10 record, will be gunning for their fifth national title.
The pre-season poll factors in voting by NCAA Division I coaches across the nation, how a team finished last season nationally, returning position player starters and pitchers, potential draft picks along with the quality of its recruiting class last fall.
The Mavericks return 17 letter winners from a team that went 31-27 in 2013 and claimed a share of the WAC regular-season championship. UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas welcomes in 17 newcomers for the first season in the Sun Belt.
The Mavericks have won conference titles the last two years, winning the Southland Conference Tournament championship in 2012. Being competitive right off the bat in the SBC is a definite goal.
"We know we're getting into a tough conference with the Sun Belt," Thomas said. "Four teams made the regionals last year. It's known for baseball. We know it's going to be tough.
"I feel good about our team this year. We've got seven returning position guys that played quite a bit and seven returning pitchers that pitched quite a bit, and I like our new guys so far. We're going to have to up our level."
The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.