FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Texas has been named the preseason favorite to win the 2010 Big 12 regular-season crown in a vote of the league’s head coaches. The Longhorns are ranked No. 1 in all four of the major preseason polls (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) to start the year.
UT (81 points) received nine of the possible 10 first-place votes while Kansas earned the remaining first-place tally and 69 points to come in second. Texas A&M and Oklahoma were third and fourth, respectively, followed by Oklahoma State, Baylor and Kansas State. Missouri and Nebraska were tied for eighth place, and Texas Tech filled the final spot.
The Longhorns are coming off a runner-up finish in their NCAA-record 33rd College World Series appearance in 2009. Texas posted a 50-16-1 overall record and 17-9-1 conference mark en route to claiming the Big 12 regular-season and postseason titles. Head coach Augie Garrido returns 19 lettermen, including all four starting pitchers and five position starters. The Longhorn pitching staff finished second in the nation with a 2.95 team ERA and ranked first in hits allowed with 7.52 per nine innings.
The Big 12 baseball season gets underway on Friday, Feb. 19 with nine squads in action. Oklahoma State will open the 2010 campaign on Saturday.
2010 BIG 12 CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
Rank Team (First-place votes) Points
1. Texas (9) 81
2. Kansas (1) 69
3. Texas A&M 64
4. Oklahoma 57
5. Oklahoma State 47
6. Baylor 39
7. Kansas State 29
8. Missouri 22
9. Nebraska 22
10. Texas Tech 20
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
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