RICHARDSON, Texas –
Concordia Texas has been picked to win the 2019 American Southwest Conference baseball regular season title after a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors, announced by the conference office Wednesday.
The Tornados received 290 points and 17 out of a possible 25 first place votes to lead the ASC poll. The defending ASC regular season champions went 29-18 overall and 18-6 in league play in 2018 and were the runner-up in the ASC Championship tournament. Concordia, under the ASC Coaching Staff of the Year and head coach Tommy Boggs, also made its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship with an at-large bid.
UT Dallas was picked second with 273 points and seven first place votes. The Comets claimed their first ASC Championship in 2018 with a 32-17 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history.
Sul Ross State was picked third with 221 points and a first place votes. The Lobos tied for third with UTD last year, going 23-19 overall and 17-7 in conference.
Rounding out the poll were
East Texas Baptist (207), Hardin-Simmons (194), Ozarks (172), LeTourneau (151), Howard Payne (115), Louisiana College (115), McMurry (83), Belhaven (77) and
Mary Hardin-Baylor (56).
UT Tyler, the 2018 national champion, will not count in the 2019 standings and are ineligible for both the ASC and NCAA Championships due to the Patriots reclassifying to NCAA Division II.
In addition to the preseason poll, a total of 26 players – 13 position players and 13 pitchers – were named to the ASC Baseball Preseason Watch List by the head coaches. Among the players returning for the new season are 14 all-conference selections, including ASC Newcomer of the Year and D3baseball.com Preseason All-America Honorable Mention
Carson Cox (Cotulla, Texas) of Concordia Texas.
Other returning All-Conference First Team selections from 2018 on the Players to Watch List include –
Wesley Moss of Sul Ross State, Deauton Delgado of Louisiana College and Matthew Williams of Concordia Texas.
The 2019 season is the 23rd in ASC baseball history and will start Friday, February 1 when Howard Payne will play at Hawaii Pacific.
2019 ASC Baseball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team (1st place votes) |
Pts. |
2018 Record (ASC) |
| 1. |
Concordia Texas (17) |
290 |
29-18 (18-6) |
| 2. |
UT Dallas (7) |
273 |
32-17 (17-7) |
| 3. |
Sul Ross State (1) |
221 |
23-19 (17-7) |
| 4. |
East Texas Baptist |
207 |
21-21 (11-13) |
| 5. |
Hardin-Simmons |
194 |
16-27 (12-12) |
| 6. |
Ozarks |
172 |
20-20 (14-10) |
| 7. |
LeTourneau |
151 |
23-19 (13-11) |
| 8. |
Howard Payne |
115 |
21-19 (9-15) |
|
Louisiana College |
115 |
20-14 (9-14) |
| 10. |
McMurry |
83 |
13-25 (7-17) |
| 11. |
Belhaven # |
77 |
12-27 (7-16) |
| 12. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
56 |
10-29 (6-18) |
| -- |
UT Tyler & |
-- |
40-18 (15-9) |
# Eligible for ASC regular season title/ineligible for ASC Championship/NCAA Championship (NCAA Division III Provisional)
& Ineligible for ASC regular season title/ASC Championship/NCAA Championship (NCAA Division II Reclassifying)
2019 ASC Baseball Preseason Players to Watch
Players selected by their respective head coach
Position Players
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
| Evan Moore |
So. |
OF |
Belhaven |
| Carson Cox * |
Sr. |
2B/SS |
Concordia Texas |
| Zach Gartner * |
Sr. |
OF |
East Texas Baptist |
| John Tople * |
Jr. |
3B |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Noah Payne * |
Sr. |
OF |
Howard Payne |
| Jacob Jones |
Sr. |
OF |
LeTourneau |
| Keelyn Johnson |
So. |
SS |
Louisiana College |
| Landon Dieterich |
Jr. |
OF |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Nick Hamel * |
So. |
1B |
McMurry |
| Breyden Varner * |
Sr. |
IF |
Ozarks |
| Wesley Moss * |
Sr. |
OF |
Sul Ross State |
| Ryan Burciaga * |
Sr. |
2B |
UT Dallas |
| Graham Welch * |
Sr. |
OF/LHP |
UT Tyler |
|
|
|
|
Pitchers
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
| David Hall |
Jr. |
RHP |
Belhaven |
| Matthew Williams * |
Jr. |
RHP |
Concordia Texas |
| Derrick Findley * |
Jr. |
LHP |
East Texas Baptist |
| Jaxon Terrell |
So. |
RHP |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Xavier Haines |
Jr. |
RHP |
Howard Payne |
| Will Bradshaw * |
Jr. |
RHP |
LeTourneau |
| Deauton Delgado * |
Sr. |
RHP |
Louisiana College |
| Cameron Whitman |
Fr. |
RHP |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Jack Poe |
Jr. |
RHP |
McMurry |
| Dalton Spurgeon |
Sr. |
RHP |
Ozarks |
| Aaron Marquez * |
Sr. |
RHP |
Sul Ross State |
| Logan McPherson |
Jr. |
RHP |
UT Dallas |
| Nate Imig |
Sr. |
RHP |
UT Tyler |
*2018 All-Conference
|