Baseball Preseason poll released:
1. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9)
2. Liberty Flames
3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
4. Sam Houston Bearkats
5. WKU Hilltoppers
6. MTSU Blue Raiders
7. Jax St Gamecocks
8. FIU Panthers
9. New Mexico St Aggies

Looks like the traditionally solid baseball programs are the top 4 in the conference. Is this an accurate preseason poll or a cop out for the conference media pundits? Which teams will surprise and which teams are overrated?

(02-01-2024 03:08 PM)Bearkat21 Wrote:  Baseball Preseason poll released:
1. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9)
2. Liberty Flames
3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
4. Sam Houston Bearkats
5. WKU Hilltoppers
6. MTSU Blue Raiders
7. Jax St Gamecocks
8. FIU Panthers
9. New Mexico St Aggies

Looks like the traditionally solid baseball programs are the top 4 in the conference. Is this an accurate preseason poll or a cop out for the conference media pundits? Which teams will surprise and which teams are overrated?

DBU at the top spot is a no-brainer.

It looks like they put some amount of thought into spots 2-4. Either that, or they just have no faith in Sammy. After that, they just went by the order of last season's final RPI:

Liberty - Leapfrogged Sammy.
La Tech - Leapfrogged Sammy.
Sammy - Fell behind Liberty and La Tech to #4 in the poll.

BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL -- FINAL 2023 RPI
1. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9) -- 13 DBU
2. Liberty Flames -- 74 Sammy
3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs -- 96 Liberty
4. Sam Houston Bearkats -- 139 La Tech
5. WKU Hilltoppers -- 137 WKU
6. MTSU Blue Raiders -- 157 MTSU
7. Jax St Gamecocks -- 180 Jax State
8. FIU Panthers -- 197 FIU
9. New Mexico St Aggies -- 297 NMSU

Just saw that Walker Janek is not on the preseason all Conference USA team
Must be quite the stacked conference if the Number 48 pro prospect can't crack the team
Pre-season Player of the Year by Perfect Game

(02-01-2024 03:26 PM)Kat1990 Wrote:  Just saw that Walter Janek is not on the preseason all Conference USA team
Must be quite the stacked conference if the Number 48 pro prospect can't crack the team
Pre-season Player of the Year by Perfect Game

probably help if you could get his name correct, it's Walker not Walter

(02-01-2024 03:26 PM)whupemall Wrote:  

(02-01-2024 03:08 PM)Bearkat21 Wrote:  Baseball Preseason poll released:
1. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9)
2. Liberty Flames
3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
4. Sam Houston Bearkats
5. WKU Hilltoppers
6. MTSU Blue Raiders
7. Jax St Gamecocks
8. FIU Panthers
9. New Mexico St Aggies

Looks like the traditionally solid baseball programs are the top 4 in the conference. Is this an accurate preseason poll or a cop out for the conference media pundits? Which teams will surprise and which teams are overrated?

DBU at the top spot is a no-brainer.

It looks like they put some amount of thought into spots 2-4. Either that, or they just have no faith in Sammy. After that, they just went by the order of last season's final RPI:

Liberty - Leapfrogged Sammy.
La Tech - Leapfrogged Sammy.
Sammy - Fell behind Liberty and La Tech to #4 in the poll.

BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL -- FINAL 2023 RPI
1. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9) -- 13 DBU
2. Liberty Flames -- 74 Sammy
3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs -- 96 Liberty
4. Sam Houston Bearkats -- 139 La Tech
5. WKU Hilltoppers -- 137 WKU
6. MTSU Blue Raiders -- 157 MTSU
7. Jax St Gamecocks -- 180 Jax State
8. FIU Panthers -- 197 FIU
9. New Mexico St Aggies -- 297 NMSU

I got to say I am slightly perplexed by Sam Houston being put at #4. Maybe the conference doesn't want to put 2 newcomers at #1 and #2 or it is simply a lack of faith by the conference in Sam Houston being able to compete this season. The pieces are there for Sam Houston to win the conference and challenge DBU. DBU and Sam got into a home run derby last season. Will be interested to see how we compete against each other over a 3 game series. Sam Houston has a winning tradition vs DBU but has lost the last 5 matchups. As mentioned Sam Houston has one of the top draft prospects in the conference at catcher and he wasn't even named to the all-conference team.

Baseball Preseason poll released:
1. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9)
2. Liberty Flames
3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
4. Sam Houston Bearkats
5. WKU Hilltoppers
6. MTSU Blue Raiders
7. Jax St Gamecocks
8. FIU Panthers
9. New Mexico St Aggies

WKU will finish better than Fifth. Coach confident we have improved pitching, speed, and defense compared to last season. Liberty seems slightly overrated considering their record last year.

The #3-6 spots are Very Hard to foresee.

IMHO:

DB-1st

2nd- SHSU or La Tech (probably Bearkats)

4-6-- WKU, Liberty, MT

Jax St., NMSU, FIU>>>>all rebuilding

Tournament will be in Ruston this year.

The top EIGHT teams advance to the double-elimination tournament with a single-elimination championship game.

2023 Conference RPI

CUSA- 8

WAC-- 16

ASUN- 17

Unfortunately, we (CUSA) lost the #2, 3, and 4 RPI teams to realignment.

We did add SHSU (74) and Liberty (97) which helps offset the losses somewhat-- but added NMSU at 297 (ugh).

I expect the "new" CUSA to be a perennial "TWO" bid league with a shot at three NCAA bids some years.

This will depend on the lower third improving.Teams below 200 can really put a drag on your RPI. Last year the team with CUSA's Worst RPI FIU was Still below 200 at #197.

Also--hopefully-- KSU will improve and help the league next year.

Future members-

KSU-163 (July 1st, 2024)
Delaware-111 (July 1st, 2025)

Future candidates-

Missouri St.-83
UMASS-----274
Tarleton----183

(02-01-2024 05:47 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  This will depend on the lower third improving.Teams below 200 can really put a drag on your RPI.

Also--hopefully-- KSU will improve and help the league next year.

FWIW, NMSU is the only team below 200, based on the final RPI from 2023.

Admittedly, they're WAY below 200... embarrassingly so. Do better, Aggies. Please.

Kennesaw will come in competitive (but not contending) at 163.

The season after that, Delaware looks strong at 111.

(02-01-2024 03:53 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  

(02-01-2024 03:26 PM)Kat1990 Wrote:  Just saw that Walter Janek is not on the preseason all Conference USA team
Must be quite the stacked conference if the Number 48 pro prospect can't crack the team
Pre-season Player of the Year by Perfect Game

probably help if you could get his name correct, it's Walker not Walter

Typos happen when you are in a hurry

I am concerned that Liberty baseball may go the way of Liberty basketball this season. Good recent history, lots of preseason hype, less than specacular season. I’m just not seein’ the punch we’ve had in the past on offense, defense, and pitching.

Kennesaw State picked 5th out of 12 in their last year-ASUN. Maybe their new stadium AND moving to CUSA can help them get some better recruits. Hope so--stronger--the better.

ASUN was 17th last year--not good--for them. Have been much higher in the recent past.

2023-KSU-163 Net

I feel much more confident in Liberty softball than Liberty baseball.