ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The William Woods University baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the American Midwest Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference office announced Tuesday afternoon.
"We are really excited about this group and the opportunities in front of us," stated Head Coach
Brock Nehls. "We feel like we have quality pieces and depth to help us get through each weekend of a tough conference schedule. Our guys have experienced the ups and downs of a season and we believe that is going to help us in the long run. Our goal is to be playing our best baseball at the end of the year, if we continue to buy in and stay healthy we will be a tough out for anyone."
Freed-Hardeman was voted to finish first overall, while Missouri Baptist and Lyon followed behind with the second and third spots.
The Owls return 19 from the 2018 team, including First Team All-AMC pitcher
Taran Oulton. Oulton pitched 92.1 innings for the Owls with a 2.31 ERA, ranking him 24
thin the NAIA and fourth in the conference for ERA. He finished the season with a 9-4 record on the mound, ranking 31
stin the NAIA for wins. Also returning on the mound is
Jeremy Hidalgo and
Collin Kessler. Hidalgo recorded six saves on the season.
Key players also returning in the Owl's uniform are
Marquise Doherty,
Zach Smith,
Brian Granton and
Connor Poulson. Doherty finished the season with six homeruns and 32 RBI. He ranked first in the NAIA with a perfect fielding percentage in the outfield with 24 putouts. Smith knocked three out of the park and brought home 25 RBI. Granton and Poulson each finished the season with a .320 batting average. Granton crossed the plate 41 times and stole 11 bases in the season.
The Owls bring in 14 new players. The team will look to quickly utilize first baseman transfer
Quincy Jones. Jones was an All-GLIAC player that finished with a .340 batting average and 43 RBI. Also looking to make an impact is
Hayden Davey, a transfer left handed pitcher from Delta State.
The Owls open their 2019 season Feb. 1when they travel to Blue Mountain, Miss. to face Blue Mountain College in a four-game series. William Woods will play their first home completion on Feb. 26against Central Methodist. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
2018 American Midwest Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
School |
|
| 1 |
Freed-Hardeman |
|
| 2 |
Missouri Baptist |
|
| 3 |
Lyon |
|
| 4 |
Columbia College |
|
| 5 |
William Woods |
|
| 6 |
Harris-Stowe |
|
| 7 |
Lindenwood-Belleville |
|
| 8 |
Central Baptist |
|
| 9 |
Park |
|
| 10 |
Williams Baptist |
|
| 11 |
Hannibal-LaGrange |
|
