Texas State picked to repeat as Southland Conference champs

FRISCO, Texas — Texas State is favored to win its fourth consecutive Southland Conference regular-season baseball championship by a vote of the league’s coaches and sports information directors, the conference announced Thursday.

The Bobcats were the overwhelming favorites in both polls, receiving the maximum 11 first-place votes and 121 points in the coaches’ and SID polls. Texas State returns 20 letterwinners, six starters and 10 pitchers from a squad that won its first conference tournament title since 2000.

Southeastern Louisiana was picked second in the coaches’ polls and third by the SIDs. The Lions received a total of 88 points in both polls.

In the coaches’ poll, McNeese State was selected ninth followed by Northwestern State, Nicholls State and Central Arkansas to round out the poll. McNeese State and Nicholls State each collected 39 points to tie for ninth in the SID poll. Northwestern State and Central Arkansas were tabbed 11th and 12th, respectively, to fill out the SID poll.

Opening day of the Southland season is Feb. 17 with conference play beginning March 9. The Southland Conference tournament will be played May 23-26 at the Bobcat Baseball Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.

All-Conference teams

TEXAS STATE PLACES FIVE ON FIRST TEAM: Texas State senior first baseman Casey Kalenkosky, a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American, and Central Arkansas sophomore outfielder Jonathan Davis, last year’s Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, are among the 13 returning players on the 2012 preseason all-conference teams, the league office announced Thursday.

A third-team preseason All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Kalenkosky ranked sixth in the nation and set a Texas State single-season record with 21 home runs last year in his first season at Texas State.

Davis led Central Arkansas and ranked fifth in the Southland with a .350 batting average and 21 stolen bases.