Wildcats runaway pick to win LSC South
ACU favored to win unprecedented third straight league crown
ACU, which has won back-to-back Lone Star Conference South
Division and LSC Post-Season Tournament titles, is the runaway pick to win
the 2002 LSC South Division title according to pre-season poll that was
released Friday.
The Wildcats, who won a school-record 43 games last season and enter
this season ranked 10th in the nation in the pre-season poll by Collegiate
Baseball magazine, received eight of nine possible first-place votes and
one second-place vote for 43 points.
Eastern New Mexico was picked to finish second, garnering one first-place
vote and three second-place votes for 31 points. Tarleton State was picked
to finish third (30 points), followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville and West
Texas A&M.
Eastern New Mexico pitcher Gabe DeHoyos was chosen as the LSC South Division
Pre-Season Player of the Year. DeHoyos was 6-4 on the mound in 2001 and
was a first team all-conference selection.
A conference title in 2002 would give ACU an unprecedented third straight
LSC championship.
Central Oklahoma, the runner-up to ACU in last year's post-season tournament,
was a unanimous selection to win the LSC North. UCO pitcher Ricky Belk
was chosen as the North Division Pre-Season Player of the Year after winning
an LSC-record-tying 14 games without a loss last season.
Southeastern Oklahoma State, which won the 2000 NCAA Division II national
championship, was picked second, followed by Northeastern State, Southwestern
Oklahoma State, Cameron and East Central.
