Feb. 9, 2017
Vanderbilt has been picked to finish third in the Southeastern Conference’s East division by the league’s coaches.
Four Commodores landed on the preseason All-SEC list with Jeren Kendall and Kyle Wright earning first team status and Jason Delay and Matt Ruppenthal on the second team. Kendall and Wright enter their junior seasons as two of the highest-rated players in the nation. Kendall led the Dores with a .332 average, 63 runs, 59 RBI and 28 stolen bases on his way to All-American and All-SEC honors. He also matched the school record with eight triples. Wright posted an 8-4 record with a 3.09 ERA as a sophomore with his eight wins matching Jordan Sheffield for the team lead. Delay returns for his senior season after turning down the San Francisco Giants as an 11th round pick last summer. Ruppenthal appeared in a team-high 25 games last season, going 5-1 with a 2.33 ERA.
Florida was picked to win the East with LSU selected as the West champion. The two teams each picked up six votes from the coaches to win the league overall title with South Carolina receiving two. Vandy checks in behind the Gators and Gamecocks in the East with Georgia and Kentucky tying for fourth, Tennessee sixth and Missouri seventh. In the West, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Alabama and Auburn are behind the Tigers.
Vanderbilt is set to open the 2017 season next week at San Diego and open the home schedule on Feb. 22 against Evansville.
2017 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
Eastern Division
1. Florida (10) – 70
2. South Carolina (4) – 61
3. Vanderbilt – 52
T4. Georgia – 29
T4. Kentucky – 29
6. Tennessee – 20
7. Missouri – 12
Western Division
1. LSU (13) – 72
2. Texas A&M (1) – 55
3. Ole Miss – 51
4. Mississippi State – 36
5. Arkansas – 27
T6. Alabama – 16
T6. Auburn – 16
SEC Champion: Florida (6), LSU (6), South Carolina (2)
2017 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC First Team
Position – Name – School
C – Mike Rivera – Florida
1B – Evan White – Kentucky
2B – Cole Freeman – LSU
SS – Dalton Guthrie-Florida
3B – Jonathan India – Florida
OF – Jake Mangum – Mississippi State
OF – Jeren Kendall – Vanderbilt
OF – Antoine Duplantis – LSU
DH/UTL – JJ Schwarz – Florida
SP – Alex Faedo – Florida
SP – Kyle Wright – Vanderbilt
RP – Tyler Johnson – South Carolina
2017 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Position – Name – School
C – Jason Delay – Vanderbilt
1B – JJ Schwarz – Florida
2B – Tate Blackman -Ole Miss
SS – Kramer Robertson -LSU
3B – Colby Bortles – Ole Miss
OF – Greg Deichmann – LSU
OF – Brent Rooker – Mississippi State
OF – Luke Bonfield – Arkansas
DH/UTL – Alex Destino – South Carolina
SP – Alex Lange – LSU
SP – Tanner Houck – Missouri
RP – Matt Ruppenthal – Vanderbilt