Baseball Picked Eighth In GAC Preseason Poll

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern baseball will head into the 2024 season playing the underdog role as the Savage Storm were tabbed eighth in the league's preseason poll released on Thursday afternoon.
 
SE picked up 49 points in the poll, which is voted on by the league's head coaches, edging out Southwestern Oklahoma State who finished with 42 points, while Harding was picked just ahead in seventh with 68 points.
 
Southern Arkansas picked up the top spot in the poll with 10 first-place votes, with Arkansas tech second with one first place nod while Ouachita Baptist was third with one as well.
 
Oklahoma Baptist checked in fourth, followed by Henderson State in fifth and Arkansas-Monticello in sixth.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State is predicted to finish 10^th, while Southern Nazarene and East Central round out the poll.
 
Southeastern returns both of its All-GAC honorees from a season ago, with second team selection Damon Burroughs coming off a .402 season in a utility role with seven doubles, 10 triples, six homers and 55 RBI.
 
Reid Rice picked up honorable mention recognition after hitting .296 with 14 doubles and eight homers with 37 RBI.
 
The Storm return three of their top five hitters from a season ago and seven players total who started at least half the team's games.
 
The SE pitching staff returns one starter with more than 10 starts from a season ago in Dylan Turner who led the starters in ERA at 5.43 and brings back six others who made at least 10 appearances.
 
Southeastern also welcomes 15 new faces to the roster in 2024, with 12 transfers and three freshmen who will be competing for time.
 
The Storm will open the 2024 season with seven-straight home games beginning on Feb. 2 when it hosts Colorado-Colorado Springs in the first of a three-game series at Mike Metheny Field starting at 2 p.m.