RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Southern Arkansas - the three-time Great American Conference baseball tournament champions - will enter 2015 as the preseason favorite, following a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches. Arkansas Tech, the 2014 regular-season champion placed second.
The Muleriders posted a 39-19 record in 2014 and advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the seventh consecutive season. They return five All-GAC selections, highlighted by Trevor Rucker, the 2014 GAC Freshman of the Year and GAC Tournament MVP. He hit .342 with six home runs, 37 RBI and 35 stolen bases. On the mound, SAU brings back a pair of All-GAC selections - Timothy Buchanan and Janson Carr – as well as Yumezo Densaki, who threw a complete game in the GAC Tournament title game.
The Wonder Boys picked up four first-place votes to place second in the poll. They closed the 2014 regular season on a 22-game win streak and earned their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Coach of the Year Dave Dawson brings back a trio of All-GAC selections, led by closer Randy Vallejo. Vallejo tied for the national lead with 18 saves. Additional returning All-Conference selections include Kris Ayers, who ranked fifth in the league in RBI and Patrick Castleberry, who placed sixth in total bases.
Arkansas-Monticello, who like SAU and Tech, made the 2014 NCAA Tournament, placed third in the poll. The Boll Weevils set a program record with 36 victories and placed second in 2014 regular-season standings and took second to SAU at the GAC Championships. UAM returns a pair of All-GAC pitchers in starter Zach McKnight and closer Jeff Harvill. McKnight ranked in the top 10 in ERA and opponent’s batting average and Harvill placed second to Vallejo in saves, with 10.
Southwestern Oklahoma State garnered the fourth position, followed by Harding. East Central and Ouachita Baptist tied for the sixth spot. SWOSU has posted and 83-58 record in three seasons under head coach Zack Saunders. Harding’s Collin Campbell earned Preseason All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball Magazine. ECU returns four All-GAC selections while OBU must replace a pair of MLB Draft picks – two-time GAC Pitcher of the Year Davis Ward and pitcher/outfielder Keegan Ghidotti.
Southeastern Oklahoma State and Henderson State placed eighth and ninth the balloting while Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene rounded out the poll. The Rangers bring in a new head coach, Sam Carel, and Southern Nazarene gained eligibility for GAC and NCAA postseason as the Crimson Storm completed the process of transitioning to Division II,
The 2014 season begins on Sunday, February 1. The 2015 GAC Tournament will take place from Saturday, May 2 through Tuesday, May 5 in Enid, Okla.
