Defending NCAA champion Vanderbilt picked to win 2015 SEC baseball title



Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Defending NCAA Champion Vanderbilt was predicted to win the 2015 Southeastern Conference baseball championship as voted by the league's 14 baseball coaches in the 24th-annual preseason SEC poll. The Preseason All-SEC First and Second Teams, as determined by the head coaches, also were announced on Thursday.

The Commodores, the nation's consensus preseason No. 1 team, captured the first NCAA title in program history this past June. Vanderbilt has won six SEC Championships in its program history, including two in the last four seasons. The Commodores garnered 10 votes claim the SEC title, while Florida earned two and LSU one. Vanderbilt was predicted to win the SEC Eastern Division, while LSU was the unanimous 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 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.

For the first time, two 12-person Preseason All-SEC Teams were selected by the SEC head coaches, and ties were not broken. Eleven of the 14 SEC schools were represented on the All-SEC teams with Vanderbilt leading the way with five total selections. Florida, LSU and South Carolina each garnered four selections. The Commodores also claimed a SEC-best three first-team accolades.

The 2015 regular season for SEC teams begins Friday, February 13, with conference play set to begin Friday, March 13. The 2014 SEC Baseball Tournament drew 120,386 fans, and nine times in the last 12 years, the tournament has surpassed the six-digit mark in total attendance.

An NCAA-record 10 SEC teams qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2014 and 10 SEC teams are ranked in at least one poll to begin the 2015 campaign.

2015 SEC baseball coaches preseason poll Eastern Division 1. Vanderbilt (11) 89 2. Florida (3) 80 3. South Carolina 67 4. Tennessee 51 5. Georgia 42 6. Kentucky 36 7. Missouri 20 Western Division 1. LSU (13) 91 2. Alabama 62 3. Texas A&M (1) 60 4. Arkansas 59 5. Mississippi State 52 6. Ole Miss 42 7. Auburn 19

SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (11); Florida (2); LSU (1).

2015 SEC BASEBALL COACHES PRESEASON ALL-SEC TEAMS