Diamond Hogs Tabbed Third in SEC West by Coaches

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Southeastern Conference coaches voted Arkansas third in the SEC’s Western Division in their 17th-annual preseason SEC poll on Thursday.

“We are a young baseball team that is going to have to grow up quickly, but we have the talent to make some noise in the SEC as the year progresses,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “There are a lot of outstanding baseball teams in the Southeastern Conference and it should be fun to see how things play out this year.”

Arkansas garnered 39 points, including two first-place votes to finish behind Ole Miss and Mississippi State in Western-Division voting. The Rebels were picked to win the West with 65 total votes and 10-of-12 first-place votes. The Bulldogs ranked second with 47 points while Auburn was picked fourth (34 votes), LSU fifth with 33 votes and Alabama sixth with 29 points.

Vanderbilt was the SEC’s overall preseason choice and the pick to win the SEC’s Eastern Division. The Commodores garnered five-of-12 votes in the overall SEC Championship voting, edging out Ole Miss (four) and South Carolina (3). Vanderbilt also received seven first-place votes in the SEC East and compiled 62 total votes.

South Carolina was selected second in the east 58 total votes and three first-place votes. Kentucky was third with 42 votes and one first-place vote.

Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.

SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (5), Ole Miss (4), South Carolina (3)

Western Division

Team Points ’07 SEC Record ‘07 Finish

1. Ole Miss (10) 65 16-14 3rd

2. Mississippi St. 47 15-13 2nd

3. Arkansas (2) 39 18-12 1st

4. Auburn 34 10-20 6th

5. LSU 33 12-17-1 5th

6. Alabama 29 15-15 4th

Eastern Division

Team Points ’07 SEC Record ‘07 Finish

1. Vanderbilt (7) 62 22-8 1st

2. South Carolina (3) 58 17-13 2nd

3. Kentucky 42 13-16-1 5th

4. Georgia 38 11-19 6th

5. Florida 29 15-15 3rd

6. Tennessee 18 13-15 4th