Vanderbilt picked to win 2019 SEC Baseball Championship



Photo: Michael Wade

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Vanderbilt University has been predicted to win the 2019 Southeastern Conference baseball championship as voted by the league's 14 head coaches in the annual preseason poll released Thursday. The Preseason All-SEC First and Second Teams, as determined by the head coaches, were also announced.

Vanderbilt garnered six first place votes, while LSU had five, Florida had two and Arkansas received one. The Commodores were predicted to win the SEC Eastern Division, while LSU was 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.

For the fourth consecutive year, two Preseason All-SEC Teams were selected by the SEC head coaches. Eleven schools were represented on the All-SEC teams with Arkansas, Georgia and Ole Miss leading the way with four selections. Vanderbilt garnered three selections, while Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State and Texas A&M had two. Arkansas claimed an SEC-best four first-team accolades.

The 2019 regular season for SEC teams begins Feb. 15, with conference play set to begin March 15.

The SEC led the nation with 10 selections to the NCAA Baseball Tournament in 2018, six teams in the Super Regionals and three teams in the College World Series.

2019 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll

Eastern Division

Vanderbilt (9) - 87 Florida (4) - 81 Georgia (1) - 68 South Carolina - 53 Tennessee - 40 Kentucky - 30 Missouri - 26

Western Division

LSU (10) - 88 Ole Miss (1) - 65 Arkansas (1) - 59 Auburn (1) - 57 Texas A&M (1) - 48 Mississippi State - 47 Alabama - 21

() - First place votes

SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (6), LSU (5), Florida (2), Arkansas (1)

2019 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team

First Team

C: Philip Clarke, Vanderbilt

1B: Cole Zabowski, Ole Miss

2B: Austin Martin, Vanderbilt*

2B: Noah Campbell, South Carolina*

3B: Aaron Schunk, Georgia

SS: Casey Martin, Arkansas

OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas

OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas

OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State

DH/UTL: T.J. Collett, Kentucky

SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn

SP: Zack Thompson, Kentucky

RP: Matt Cronin, Arkansas

Second Team

C: Mason Meadows, Georgia

1B: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State

2B: LJ Talley, Georgia

3B: Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss

SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M

OF: JJ Bleday, Vanderbilt

OF: Antoine Duplantis, LSU

OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU

DH/UTL: Aaron Schunk, Georgia*

DH/UTL: Chase Cockrell, Ole Miss*

SP: John Doxakis, Texas A&M

SP: Tyler Dyson, Florida

RP: Parker Caracci, Ole Miss

*Tie (ties are not broken)