FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has been predicted to win the SEC Western Division baseball championship by league coaches.
The Razorbacks received five of 14 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M also received at least one vote apiece. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams.
Arkansas has shared the division championship the past two years and returns several position players from last year's 46-20 team that played in the College World Series. The Razorbacks have four players - shortstop Casey Martin, catcher Casey Opitz, outfielder Heston Kjerstad and designated hitter Matt Goodheart - on the preseason All-SEC team.
Reigning national champion Vanderbilt is the preseason pick to win the SEC Eastern Division, as well as the overall league championship. The Commodores received eight first-place votes in the conference prediction, ahead of Florida with two votes, and Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia and Mississippi State with one apiece.
2020 SEC Coaches Poll
Eastern Division
1 Vanderbilt (9) - 87
2 Florida (3) - 77
3 Georgia (2) - 76
4 Tennessee - 50
5 South Carolina - 48
6 Missouri - 32
7 Kentucky 22
Western Division
1 Arkansas (5) - 82
2 Mississippi State (4) - 73
T3 LSU (3) - 67
T3 Auburn (2) - 67
5 Texas A&M (1) - 44
6 Ole Miss - 38
7 Alabama - 21
2019 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Casey Opitz, Arkansas
*1B: Cade Beloso, LSU; T.J. Collett, Kentucky
2B: Justin Foscue, Mississippi State
3B: Austin Martin, Vanderbilt
SS: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
OF: Alerick Soularie, Tennessee
DH/UTL: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas
SP: Emerson Hancock, Georgia
SP: Asa Lacy, Texas A&M
RP: Tyler Brown, Vanderbilt
Second Team
C: Ty Duvall, Vanderbilt
*1B: Josh Hatcher, Mississippi State; Rankin Woley, Auburn
*2B: Harrison Ray, Vanderbilt; Riley King, Georgia
3B: Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss
SS: Jordan Westburg, Mississippi State
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
OF: Tyler Gentry, Alabama
OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State
DH/UTL: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
RP: Cody Greenhill
*-Denotes voting tie