RiverHawks Picked 11th in LSC Baseball Preseason Poll

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Northeastern State is expected to finish 11^th in the Lone Star Conference baseball race according to a vote in a  preseason poll announced by the league office.

The 2010 season starts in early February and the LSC has 12 teams set to compete. For the third year, LSC teams will play an 11-week, single round-robin schedule with a four-game series against every other team. Each series consists of a 7-inning game followed by a 9-inning game on both days.

The regular season champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship shall be the overall LSC Champion. The championship will be played May 1-4 in Abilene, Texas.

The RiverHawks received 105 points to finish 11^th in the 12-team conference.

Abilene Christian University received 16 of the 31 first-place votes on the ballots cast by LSC coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives for 352 total points.  The Wildcats finished 44-19 overall and 30-14 in conference and won the LSC Championship for the fifth time to reach the South Central Regional in 2009.

 Angelo State's Keith Towne was named the LSC Preseason Player of the Year acclaim.

   ACU's Brad Rutherford was tabbed LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

   ASU claimed nine first-place votes and totaled 341 points to finish a close second in the voting on the heels of a 45-20 record last season.  Cameron, the defending regular season champions, collected four first-place nods and 308 points in third place.

    Tarleton State finished fourth with 245 points, while Southeastern State fifth with 233 and Central Oklahoma sixth with 219.

   Eastern New Mexico (176), Southwestern Oklahoma (146), Texas A&M-Kingsville (135 with one first-place vote), West Texas A&M (121 and a first-place nod), Northeastern State (105) and East Central (37) rounded out the poll.

LSC  Preseason Baseball Vote

(First Place Vote in Parenthsis)

1              Abilene Christian (16)         352

2             Angelo State (9)                  341

3              Cameron (4)                       308

4               Tarleton State                    245

5               Southeastern State            233

6               Central Oklahoma              219

7               Eastern New Mexico           176

8               Southwestern State           146

9              Texas A&M-Kingsville (1)      135

10             West Texas A&M (1)            121

11             Northeastern State             105

12             East Central                          37