MACON, Ga. -- The University of North Alabama baseball team has been picked to finish eighth in the 2019 ASUN Conference race in a pre-season poll of the league's head coaches.
UNA is set to begin its first season as an NCAA Division I and ASUN Conference member on February 15.
The ASUN Conference is a nine-member league that includes schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia. The UNA schedule includes eight ASUN Conference three-game series for a total of 24 conference games.
League members are Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, New Jersey Institute of Technology, North Florida and Stetson.
Coming off a 31-20 record in 2018 in its final season in Division II and the Gulf South Conference, the Lions received 14 total points in the pre-season poll. Stetson received six first-place votes and 77 total points as the pre-season favorite. Jacksonville was picked second with two first-place votes 73 points. Liberty is third at 59, followed by Florida Gulf coast (56), Kennesaw State (45), North Florida (38), Lipscomb (30), UNA (14) and NJIT (13).
UNA returns four starters and 15 lettermen from last season, led by three-year starters
Peyton Sockwell at shortstop and
Davis Elliott at second base. The list of returnees includes seven position players and eight pitchers.
Preseason ASUN Conference Baseball Coaches Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Stetson (6) 77
2. Jacksonville (2) 73
3. Liberty 59
4. FGCU (1) 56
5. Kennesaw State 45
6. North Florida 38
7. Lipscomb 30
8. North Alabama 14
9. NJIT 13
