In a poll conducted by Atlantic 10 Conference baseball coaches, Saint Louis was picked to finish first in the conference, the league office announced Tuesday.
The Billikens received nine of the 13 first-place votes. VCU was the other school with more than one first-place tally.
A-10 Baseball Preseason Poll
Saint Louis (9)
VCU (2)
Davidson (1)
Fordham (1)
George Mason
Richmond
Rhode Island
George Washington
Dayton
Saint Joseph’s
St. Bonaventure
La Salle
Massachusetts
Saint Louis finished the 2018 campaign with a 38-20 record, 19-4 in Atlantic 10 play, and they earned themselves a spot in the NCAA Regional Round in Oxford, Miss.
Saint Louis returns three of their starting position players from last season: Jake Garella (RF), Cole Dubet (2B) and Ryan Hernandez (C).
The Billikens will rely heavily on their senior-led pitching staff this year. Drew Reveno led the team with a 10-2 record and a 2.13 ERA last season. He struck out 52 batters in 67.2 innings pitched. Jackson Wark had a 3.80 ERA with a 9-2 record last season. Connor Lehmann appeared in 19 games for the Billikens, putting up a 3.04 ERA in just over 47 innings pitched. The closer is senior Ryan Lefner. He recored seven saves for the Billikens last season and 14 in 2017. Lefner finds himself with 21 careers saves at Saint Louis, one off of the school’s career record.
The Billikens open the 2019 season on Friday, February 15, when they kick off a four-game series with Miami (Ohio) in Hoover, Ala.
