Valpo Baseball Picked Fourth in Horizon League
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Valpo Baseball Picked Fourth in Horizon League
Valpo was picked fourth in this year's preseason poll. (Dave Schofield)

Valparaiso University has been picked to finish in fourth place this season in the Horizon League according to the 2011 preseason poll as voted upon by the league’s head coaches.

Head coach Tracy Woodson’s squad returns 22 letterwinners from last year’s team, which saw the Crusaders finish 24-32 overall and 9-10 in Horizon League. The Crusaders placed fourth in the seven team league for the second straight year.  Valpo earned a third place finish in the Horizon League Tournament.

The Crusaders tallied 24 points in the preseason poll to garner a fourth place prediction, just three points behind third place UIC.  Wright State was tabbed to win the league, earning three first place votes, with last year’s tournament champion and NCAA Tournament representative, Milwaukee, picked second, and garnering three more first place votes.  Butler and Youngstown State shared the fifth spot in the predictions while Cleveland State ranked seventh.

 

The voting, done by the league’s head coaches, awarded six points for a first place vote through one point for an sixth place vote.  Coaches could not vote for their own team.

Valparaiso will open the 2011 regular season on Friday, February 18 in Clarksville, Tenn. to begin a three-game series with Austin Peay.   First pitch in the opener is set for 3 p.m. 

 

2011 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll

 

1.

Wright State (3)

32

2.

Milwaukee (3)

31

3.

UIC (1)

27

4.

Valparaiso

24

5.

Butler

13

6.

Youngstown State

13

7.

Cleveland State

7

 

(First place votes in parentheses)