Jags, Cajuns Top Baseball Coaches Poll

Defending Sun Belt Champion South Alabama and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the picks to win the East and West Divisions of the Sun Belt Conference, in a poll of coaches released by the league office.

South Alabama returns eight starters from last year's 40-21 team and was a unanimous pick in the East Division, garnering all 12 first place votes, while the Cajuns, who narrowly missed out on postseason play a year ago, received nine first place votes to lead the West.

Coastal Carolina was picked second in the East, while Georgia Southern who advanced to the tournament finals a year ago, was selected as the third choice.  Troy, Georgia State and Appalachian State rounded out the division.

UTA, the team that won the West a year ago, received two first place votes in being picked second in the West.  Texas State received the other first place vote to finish third in the balloting.  Arkansas State, Little Rock and ULM finished fourth through sixth, in that order.

Ironically, the two division favorites do not meet in a league series this season, but the two teams will meet in a three game series at Russo Park that will not count in the league standings.