ELMHURST,
Ill. – The North Dakota State University baseball team was picked fifth in The
Summit League Baseball Preseason Poll, the league office announced on Thursday,
Feb. 11.
Oral Roberts was picked first after claiming the league's regular season and postseason tournament championships last season. The Golden Eagles received all five of its possible first-place votes. Fort Wayne, last season's tournament runner-up, was picked second. South Dakota State was slotted third with the final first-place tally, followed by Omaha, the Bison and Western Illinois.
NDSU opens the 2016 season with a three-game series at Arkansas-Pine Bluff Feb. 19-20 in Pine Bluff, Ark.
Summit League Baseball Preseason Notes
Oral Roberts was picked first after claiming the league's regular season and postseason tournament championships last season. The Golden Eagles received all five of its possible first-place votes. Fort Wayne, last season's tournament runner-up, was picked second. South Dakota State was slotted third with the final first-place tally, followed by Omaha, the Bison and Western Illinois.
NDSU opens the 2016 season with a three-game series at Arkansas-Pine Bluff Feb. 19-20 in Pine Bluff, Ark.
Summit League Baseball Preseason Notes
·
A total of 13 all-league selections return for the 2016 season, including eight
second-teamers.
·
Oral Roberts' Matt Whatley (.355, 56 R) is the lone major award winner
returning. Whatley captured Newcomer of the Year honors in his first year
behind the plate for the Golden Eagles.
·
Third baseman Chase Stafford (.301, 41 R) also returns for ORU after capturing
first team honors as a third baseman last season.
·
Fort Wayne welcomes back all six of its second team selections from a year ago
in shortstop Greg Kaiser (.361, 10 HR), designated hitter Brock Logan (.295, 44
H), starting pitcher Evan Miller (6-5, 94 K), outfielders Brandon Soat (.294,
53 R) and Shane Trevino (.307, 48 RBI) and first baseman Kendall Whitman (44 R,
44 RBI).
·
Omaha returns a pair of first team all-league picks in shortstop Clayton Taylor
(.308, 42 RBI) and outfielder Cole Gruber (.399, 22 SB), along with second team
utility player Alex Schultz (.316, 42 R). 2014 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Fox
enters his senior campaign for the Mavericks.
·
South Dakota State welcomes back first team designated hitter Luke Ringhofer
(.321, 41 RBI), while North Dakota State returns second team outfielder Ben Petersen (.355, 28 R).
·
The 2016 season marks the first year Omaha is eligible for the league
tournament.
Summit League Baseball Schedule Notes
·
The 2016 season begins Feb. 19 with league action starting March 18.
·
The first rematch of the 2015 championship game between Fort Wayne and Oral
Roberts takes place in Tulsa from March 25-27. The two squads meet in Fort
Wayne April 22-24.
·
League teams face a total of six different teams ranked in the preseason polls
by either DIBaseball.com and/or the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association.
·
The top four teams in the regular-season standings will qualify for The Summit
League Baseball Championship in Tulsa, Okla., from May 25-28.
|
2016 Summit League
Baseball Preseason Poll
|
|||
|
Place
|
Team
|
Points (1st)
|
2015 Record
|
|
1.
|
Oral Roberts
|
25 (5)
|
41-16 (25-5)
|
|
2.
|
Fort Wayne
|
19
|
28-26 (13-16)
|
|
3.
|
South Dakota State
|
17 (1)
|
33-23 (18-11)
|
|
4.
|
Omaha
|
15
|
21-31 (12-18)
|
|
5.
|
North Dakota State
|
8
|
20-31 (11-19)
|
|
6.
|
Western Illinois
|
6
|
17-33 (10-20)
|
Coaches
are not allowed to vote for their own team.
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