Gamecocks Predicted To Finish 2nd In The SEC Eastern Division
Columbia, S.C. (USC SID) – South Carolina has been predicted to finish second in the SEC Eastern Division as voted by the league’s 14 head coaches in the annual preseason poll announced on Thursday. Junior right-hander Tyler Johnson was a first-team Preseason All-SEC selection with junior Alex Destino garnering second-team honors. The Gamecocks open the 2017 season next Friday, Feb. 17 vs. UNCG.
South Carolina received four first place votes for the Eastern Division as well as two first place votes as SEC champion. South Carolina won its seventh SEC Eastern Division title last year with a 20-9 conference record.
Florida and LSU each garnered six votes for SEC Champion in the preseason poll. The Gators were predicted to win the SEC Eastern Division, while the Tigers were the favorite to win the SEC Western Division.
Since 1996, the SEC has named a regular season champion as well as a tournament champion. Prior to 1996, the tournament champion was considered the SEC champion.
Points were compiled on a descending basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team, and each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.
Conference play is set to begin March 17. A total of seven SEC teams qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2016, and a record four teams were selected as national seeds.
2017 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
Eastern Division
1. Florida (10) – 70
2. South Carolina (4) – 61
3. Vanderbilt – 52
T4. Georgia – 29
T4. Kentucky – 29
6. Tennessee – 20
7. Missouri – 12
Western Division
1. LSU (13) – 72
2. Texas A&M (1) – 55
3. Ole Miss – 51
4. Mississippi State – 36
5. Arkansas – 27
T6. Alabama – 16
T6. Auburn – 16
SEC Champion: Florida (6), LSU (6), South Carolina (2)
2017 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Mike Rivera, Florida
1B: Evan White, Kentucky
2B: Cole Freeman, LSU
SS: Dalton Guthrie, Florida
3B: Jonathan India, Florida
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
OF: Jeren Kendall, Vanderbilt
OF: Antoine Duplantis, LSU
DH/UTL: JJ Schwarz, Florida
SP: Alex Faedo, Florida
SP: Kyle Wright, Vanderbilt
RP: Tyler Johnson, South Carolina
Second Team
C: Jason Delay, Vanderbilt
1B: JJ Schwarz, Florida
2B: Tate Blackman, Ole Miss
SS: Kramer Robertson, LSU
3B: Colby Bortles, Ole Miss
OF: Greg Deichmann, LSU
OF: Brent Rooker, Mississippi State
OF: Luke Bonfield, Arkansas
DH/UTL: Alex Destino, South Carolina
SP: Alex Lange, LSU
SP: Tanner Houck, Missouri
RP: Matt Ruppenthal, Vanderbilt
