INDIANAPOLIS – Bellarmine University has been selected to win the 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference Baseball Championship, the Conference office announced Tuesday.
This year’s preseason poll ranks teams 1-14, as opposed to East and West Divisions in years past. That led to four teams earning first-place votes by the league coaches and just 10 points separating first and fourth place.
Bellarmine garnered 156 total points and six of the 14 first-place votes, followed by the University of Illinois Springfield in second with 150 points and a pair of first-place votes. Quincy University picked up two first-place markers and 147 points to sit third in the poll, just one point ahead of the University of Southern Indiana, which earned 146 points and the final four first-place votes.
Drury University (122) has been picked to finish fifth, while the University of Indianapolis (106), Missouri S&T (92), Maryville University (81), Lewis University (72) and William Jewell College (57) are sixth through 10th, respectively. The University of Missouri-St. Louis (53), Rockhurst University (39), McKendree University (29) and Truman State University (24) round out the poll.
Bellarmine was one of six GLVC teams to earn recognition in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s preseason poll. Southern Indiana is listed 15th, followed by No. 17 Illinois Springfield, No. 28 Bellarmine, and No. 35 Quincy. UIndy and Drury are receiving votes outside the top 40 poll.
The Knights garnered the respect from the league coaches after a 2018 campaign that saw them make their second straight NCAA Midwest Regional appearance and earn the most wins in program history with a 38-19 record. Under the direction of Bellarmine skipper Larry Owens, the Knights return All-Midwest Region honorees Zac Wiley (OF), Alex Phillips (OF/P) and Eddie Mathis (SP), who was named the 2018 GLVC Pitcher of the Year. Junior right-hander Jacob Nagel joined those three as All-GLVC selections.
Illinois Springfield is coming off its best season in school history as the Prairie Stars went 47-9 overall and 23-1 in GLVC play to set school records in wins and conference wins. UIS followed up its first-ever GLVC East Division title with its first-ever berth to the Midwest Regional. Led by 2018 GLVC Coach of the Year Chris Ramirez, the Prairie Stars hit their highest marks in program history by peaking at No. 4 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II poll and No. 1 in the Midwest Region poll. UIS returns three first-team All-GLVC pitchers in starters Andrew Dean and Justin Revels, along with closer Cam Zunkel.
Quincy is the two-time defending GLVC champion, having finished the 2018 campaign with a 41-18 record, which marked the second-most wins for the program since 2000. The Hawks have advanced to the last four Midwest Regionals and will be led this year by senior and 2018 consensus All-American Cody Birdsong.
USI completed the 2018 campaign as the Midwest Regional champion for the fifth time since the 2007 season and finished 36-23 overall. Gone is the graduated 2018 GLVC Player of the Year Drake McNamara, but reigning GLVC Freshman of the Year Bryce Krizan returns to the outfield, while senior pitcher Austin Krizan was one of 11 GLVC standouts listed among Collegiate Baseball’s Midwest Region Players to Watch.
The first pitch of the 2018 GLVC baseball season is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1, as Missouri S&T battles Spring Hill in Mobile, Alabama. The following Friday, Bellarmine opens the season at West Georgia, Maryville starts the season at Union, Truman State heads to Searcy, Arkansas, for its opening series against Harding, and William Jewell will be at Southwestern Oklahoma State. Drury travels to Russellville, Arkansas, for its opener against Central Oklahoma on Feb. 9. The remaining eight teams will begin the 2019 campaign Feb. 15, including Illinois Springfield against Saginaw Valley State in Emerson, Georgia, UIndy at home against UW-Parkside, Lewis at Trevecca Nazarene, UMSL and Rockhurst taking on Northwest Missouri State and Washburn, respectively, as part of the MIAA-GLVC Challenge in Joplin, Missouri, and USI at North Georgia. On Feb. 16, McKendree opens at Alabama Huntsville, while Quincy heads to Mississippi College for its opening series.
The Conference will host the 2019 GLVC Championship Tournament on May 9-12 at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri.
The complete 2019 GLVC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll follows:
| 2019 GLVC Baseball Preseason Poll |
| Place |
School |
Points (First Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Bellarmine |
156 (6) |
| 2 |
Illinois Springfield |
150 (2) |
| 3 |
Quincy |
147 (2) |
| 4 |
Southern Indiana |
146 (4) |
| 5 |
Drury |
122 |
| 6 |
Indianapolis |
106 |
| 7 |
Missouri S&T |
92 |
| 8 |
Maryville |
81 |
| 9 |
Lewis |
72 |
| 10 |
William Jewell |
57 |
| 11 |
Missouri-St. Louis |
53 |
| 12 |
Rockhurst |
39 |
| 13 |
McKendree |
29 |
| 14 |
Truman State |
24 |