February 10, 2011

Baseball Picked to Repeat in 2011 A-Sun Preseason Poll

MACON, Ga. – The defending Atlantic Sun champion Mercer baseball team was tabbed to repeat as conference champions according to the 2011 A-Sun Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Thursday morning.

The Preseason All-Atlantic Sun team was also announced, with junior third baseman Jacob Tanis and sophomore starting pitcher Matt McCall representing the Bears on the squad.

Mercer and FGCU tied for the top spot in the poll, but Mercer was selected as tournament champion after leading all schools with five votes.

The Bears look to become the first team to win back-to-back A-Sun titles since Stetson accomplished the feat in 2005-06.

“While we certainly appreciate the honor of being picked as tournament champions, most of the voting is based on what happened last season,” head coach Craig Gibson said. “Where we are picked to start the year doesn’t concern us, we are only focused on being the last team standing when the season is finished.”

The 2011 A-Sun Coaches’ Poll represents the first time that Mercer has been picked first or tied for first in the history of the preseason census.

The Bears feature 18 returning letterwinners, including six starting position players and all three weekend starting pitchers from last year’s squad.

Tanis has already been named a Preseason Third Team All-American by four publications including the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), Louisville Slugger, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and College Baseball Lineup. The awards come as no surprise to those who watched the Peachtree City, Ga. native lead the Bears with 22 home runs, 88 RBI, 104 hits and a .735 slugging percentage last season.

“Tanis has received a considerable amount of well deserved preseason recognition based on the record setting numbers he put up in 2010,” Gibson said. “We are counting on him again this season for similar production in the middle of our very talented lineup.”

McCall, a 2010 A-Sun All-Freshman team honoree, had a breakout rookie season with the Orange and Black emerging as the ace of a Mercer pitching staff that posted a 5.76 team ERA last season. The 6-1, 195-pound Valdosta, Ga. product amassed a 7-2 overall record, a 4.79 ERA and a team-high 73.1 innings pitched.

“I am glad to see Matt was voted onto the team because I think it shows the respect he has earned in our league after just one season,” Gibson said. “He has a chance to be one of the better arms in the league again this season and will without doubt be our number one starter heading into opening day.”

Mercer opens its 2011 season on Friday, February 18, at 4 p.m. against Big South member Liberty at Claude Smith Field.