NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team has been selected to finish third in the Southland Conference this season as voted on by all conference coaches and sports information directors. The poll was released on Wednesday morning.
The rank is the highest mark the Privateers have received in the preseason since entering the Southland Conference back in 2014. New Orleans is behind preseason favorite, Southeastern and last year's postseason champion, McNeese. The Lions received 10 first place votes while the Cowboys garnered three.
Last season, New Orleans finished second according to the points system the Southland adopted in 2021. It was the highest seed the Privateers earned in the Southland Tournament.
The Privateers return three all-conference players from last season.
Kasten Furr was the team's lead-off hitter for most of 2021 and led the squad in runs and stolen bases.
Pearce Howard was a second team all-conference and all-Louisiana selection.
Caleb Seroski posted 10 saves as the team's closer, tied for the fourth most in a single season in program history.
The squad also got some preseason recognition from Perfect Game. In the publication's conference preview, New Orleans had five all-conference players, the preseason Player of the Year (Howard) and Freshman of the Year (
Andrew Duran).
New Orleans will open the season with the Andre Dawson Classic on Feb. 18 when they take on the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions. First pitch for the season opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Maestri Field.
|
Place
|
School (First-place votes)
|
Total
|
|
1.
|
Southeastern (10)
|
93
|
|
2.
|
McNeese (3)
|
80
|
|
3.
|
New Orleans
|
73
|
|
4.
|
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1)
|
63
|
|
5.
|
Northwestern State (2)
|
55
|
|
6.
|
UIW
|
36
|
|
t-7.
|
HBU
|
24
|
|
t-7.
|
Nicholls
|
24
|
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