RICHARDSON, Texas –– Concordia Texas and Texas-Tyler have been predicted to win 2012 American Southwest Conference baseball division titles, it was announced by the ASC office on Wednesday (Jan. 18) after a vote of each division's head coaches, sports information directors and media members. A total of 32 players – 16 from the West Division and 16 from the East Division – were named to the players to watch lists by nominations from head coaches.
Concordia Texas, which went 32-17 overall (15-6 ASC) last year en route to the conference title, totaled 181 points and collected 17 of the 24 possible first-place votes in the annual poll to be the favorite in the West Division. Head coach Tommy Boggs' Tornados, who shared the division crown with Hardin-Simmons last season, stole a league-high 85 bases and won 16 of their final 21 ballgames – the last loss coming to NCAA Division III runner-up Chapman. CTX also won a conference title in 2002.
Hardin-Simmons wrapped up the second place position with 166 points and six first-place votes. Head coach Steve Coleman's Cowboys (31-14, 15-6 ASC) led the West in hitting (.322) and pitching (3.99 ERA) last year. Three-time ASC champion Texas Lutheran (24-19, 13-8 ASC) landed the final first-place vote and was predicted for a third-place finish with 140 points. Four-time conference champion McMurry (17-27, 11-10 ASC) came in the fourth spot with 111 points to round out what would be the West Division's four teams to qualify for the ASC Championship Tournament Series.
Mary Hardin-Baylor was predicted to finish fifth in the West with 104 points, followed by Sul Ross State (71 pts.), Howard Payne (66 pts.) and Schreiner (32 pts.).
Texas-Tyler, which went 33-8 overall and 14-4 in ASC play last season to win its sixth division crown in the last seven seasons, totaled 129 points and nine of the 21 possible first-place votes to be the favorites in the East Division. Head coach Paul Wyczawski's Patriots led the league in pitching last year with a 2.79 ERA and just 88 walks over 345 innings of work. UT Tyler, which won back-to-back conference titles in 2009-10, has reached the NCAA postseason three straight years.
Texas-Dallas and Mississippi College tied for the second place spot with 114 points each. UTD (29-18, 11-7 ASC) received five first-place votes, while MC (24-18, 11-7) tallied three. Head coach Shane Shewmake's Comets and head coach Brian Owens' Choctaws have reached the ASC title game the last two seasons, respectively. Louisiana College (26-17, 11-7 ASC) picked up the final four first-place votes and totaled 102 points to claim the fourth-place position, rounding out what would be the East Division's four teams to qualify for the ASC tournament.
LeTourneau totaled 51 points to be the fifth-place selection in the East, followed by East Texas Baptist (45 pts.) and Ozarks (33 pts.). First-year ASC member Centenary will compete in the East Division but is ineligible for the conference and division title as it continues to phase out athletic scholarships. The Gents' games will not count toward conference standings.
Making up the “16 To Watch in the West Division” list is senior catcher Collin Janssen and senior left-hander Scott Hays of Concordia Texas; senior outfielder/first baseman/designated hitter Troy Tarrant and junior right-hander James Simmons of Hardin-Simmons; junior infielder Ben Butler and junior right-hander Jonathan Morris of Howard Payne; senior first baseman Matt Thompson and junior right-hander Spencer Smith of McMurry; senior third baseman Josh Fredrick and junior right-hander Chance Ryan of Mary Hardin-Baylor; senior infielder/outfielder Brad Thomas and senior right-hander Justin Martinez of Schreiner; senior designated hitter Brian Mata and senior right-hander Luke Fry of Sul Ross State; and senior shortstop Daniel Yancelson and senior right-hander Brad Orosey of Texas Lutheran.
Landing on the “16 To Watch in the East Division” list is senior first baseman Kyle Morton and junior right-hander Cole Thompson of Centenary; junior catcher Cayden Cunniff and senior left-hander Pete Fitzsimmons of East Texas Baptist; senior infielder Nate Tomaszewski and senior right-hander Travis Norris of LeTourneau; senior second baseman Jordan Marks and senior right-hander Greg Uzee of Louisiana College; senior third baseman Spencer Brunson and senior right-hander Bo Craig of Mississippi College; senior shortstop Mitchell Powers and junior right-hander Tyler Erickson of Ozarks; senior outfielder Chase Brown and junior right-hander Derek Dallas of Texas-Dallas; and senior catcher Hayden Chick and senior right-hander Chance Williams of Texas-Tyler.
Tarrant and Marks earned All-American status last season by D3baseball.com. Tarrant batted .411 with seven home runs, five triples, 15 doubles and 51 RBIs, while Marks hit .340 with 10 home runs, 12 doubles and 55 RBIs.
The 2012 ASC season – the 16th in league history – begins as early as February 3. The eight-team conference tournament's first round, which is played in a best-of-three series format at sites of the top two seeds from each division, is set for April 27-28. The four victorious teams will advance to the double-elimination championship round, set for May 4-6 at the home field of the top remaining seed from the West Division. The ASC champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
NOTE: New head coaches in the league are Schreiner's Ryan Brisbin and Mary Hardin-Baylor's Derek Dunaway, a former ASC student-athlete who served in an interim capacity last season.
2012 ASC PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and Media Members]
WEST DIVISION
Team (first-place votes) Points 2011 Record
1. Concordia Texas (17) 181 32-17, 15-6 ASC (T1st)
2. Hardin-Simmons (6) 166 31-14, 15-6 ASC (T1st)
3. Texas Lutheran (1) 140 24-19, 13-8 ASC (3rd)
4. McMurry 111 17-27, 11-10 ASC (4th)
5. Mary Hardin-Baylor 97 19-20, 9-12 ASC (6th)
6. Sul Ross State 71 15-21, 7-14 ASC (7th)
7. Howard Payne 66 15-20, 10-11 ASC (5th)
8. Schreiner 32 8-29, 4-17 ASC (8th)
EAST DIVISION
Team (first-place votes) Points 2011 Record
1. Texas-Tyler (9) 129 33-8, 14-4 ASC (1st)
T2. Texas-Dallas (5) 114 29-18, 11-7 ASC (T2nd)
T2. Mississippi College (3) 114 24-18, 11-7 ASC (T2nd)
4. Louisiana College (4) 102 26-17, 11-7 ASC (T2nd)
5. LeTourneau 51 19-21, 7-11 ASC (T5th)
6. East Texas Baptist 45 14-26, 7-11 ASC (T5th)
7. Ozarks 33 8-32, 2-16 ASC (7th)
*Centenary 12-31, 9-18 Summit League (8th)
*Ineligible for the conference and division title as it continues to phase out its athletic scholarships.
2012 ASC PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
[One position player and pitcher nominated by each ASC head coach]
16 To Watch in the West Division
Position Players
Ben Butler, INF, Jr., Howard Payne
Josh Fredrick, 3B, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Collin Janssen, C, Sr., Concordia Texas
Brian Mata, DH, Sr., Sul Ross State
Troy Tarrant, OF/1B/DH, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
Brad Thomas, OF/INF, Sr., Schreiner
Matt Thompson, 1B, Sr., McMurry
Daniel Yancelson, SS, Sr., Texas Lutheran
Pitchers
Luke Fry, RHP, Sr., Sul Ross State
Scott Hays, LHP, Sr., Concordia Texas
Justin Martinez, RHP, Sr., Schreiner
Jonathan Morris, RHP, Jr., Howard Payne
Brad Orosey, RHP, Sr., Texas Lutheran
Chance Ryan, RHP, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
James Simmons, RHP, Jr., Hardin-Simmons
Spencer Smith, RHP, Jr., McMurry
16 To Watch in the East Division
Position Players
Chase Brown, OF, Sr., Texas-Dallas
Spencer Brunson, 3B, Sr., Mississippi College
Hayden Chick, C, Sr., Texas-Tyler
Cayden Cunniff, C, Jr., East Texas Baptist
Jordan Marks, 2B, Sr., Louisiana College
Kyle Morton, 1B, Sr., Centenary
Mitchell Powers, SS, Sr., Ozarks
Nate Tomaszewski, INF, Sr., LeTourneau
Pitchers
Bo Craig, RHP, Sr., Mississippi College
Derek Dallas, RHP, Jr., Texas-Dallas
Tyler Erickson, RHP, Jr., Ozarks
Pete Fitzsimmons, LHP, Sr., East Texas Baptist
Travis Norris, RHP, Sr., LeTourneau
Cole Thompson, RHP, Jr., Centenary
Greg Uzee, RHP, Sr., Louisiana College
Chance Williams, RHP, Sr., Texas-Tyler
–ASC–
