Defending Champ Webster Tops SLIAC Baseball Pre-Season Coaches Poll

St. Louis, Mo. – Defending St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) champion Webster University has been chosen as the pre-season favorite in the SLIAC Baseball Pre-Season Coaches' Poll. The Gorloks received five first place votes and had a total of 54 points.

Webster went 35-11 in 2010 and captured their fourth consecutive regular season Conference title. They also finished the season ranked No. 24 in the final ABCA/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III poll. Head coach Bill Kurich lost eight All-Conference players to graduation, but he does return All-Region players Craig Schaefer and David Mueller, along with four seniors and an outstanding recruiting class.

Also receiving first place votes in the poll was Spalding University (3). The Golden Eagles went 13-11 in SLIAC play last season and finished 19-20 overall. Spalding, who ranked third in the pre-season coaches' poll, is eligible for the regular season SLIAC title, but can not qualify yet for SLIAC Tournament play.

Fontbonne University was selected to finish second among the league coaches. The Griffins went 21-20 overall in 2010 and 14-10 in the conference. Greenville, who finished second last season with a conference record of 18-6 and 28-14 overall, rounded out the top four in the pre-season poll. 

SLIAC Baseball Pre-Season Poll
1 Webster (5)
2 Fontbonne
3 Spalding (3)
4 Greenville
5 Westminster (Mo.)
6 Principia
7 Eureka
8 Blackburn
9 MacMurray