SEC Coaches Pick Bama Third in SEC Western Division Race
1/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The defending Southeastern Conference baseball champion, University of Alabama Crimson Tide were picked to finish third in the SEC Western Division in 2007, in a vote by the league’s 12 head coaches in the 16th annual preseason poll, the SEC Office announced Wednesday afternoon.
Alabama received 47 points to finish third in the preseason rankings by the league’s head coaches. The Crimson Tide was picked to finish fourth in the SEC Western Division last season, but instead claimed a share of its league-leading 14th SEC Championship with a 20-10 SEC record in 2006.
South Carolina is the favorite to win the 2007 SEC Championship this season. The Gamecocks received seven of the 12 championship votes in the poll. Arkansas received three votes while Vanderbilt received two.
Since 1996, the SEC has named a regular season champion as well as a tournament champion. Prior to 1996, the tournament champion was considered the SEC Champion.
In addition to picking a preseason SEC champion, the league's head coaches voted on a predicted order of finish in the SEC Eastern and Western Divisions. In the Eastern Division, South Carolina was the clear favorite with 63 of a possible 66 points. Vanderbilt came in second with 54 points and Tennessee third with 39 points. Arkansas was the unanimous predicted winner in the Western Division with a total of 66 points. Ole Miss, last season's SEC Tournament champion, was second with 53, while Alabama finished third with 47.
Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.
The 2007 SEC schedule is set to begin the weekend of March 16-18. The 2007 SEC Tournament will be held May 23-27 at the newly refurbished Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala. The SEC Tournament has drawn over 100,000 fans four of the last five years.
Over 1.6 million fans attended games in the SEC last season, an all-time NCAA record and the fifth year in a row the SEC has topped the one million mark in attendance, leading the nation once again in that category.
Eastern Division
Team Pts. '06 SEC Rec/Finish
1. S. Carolina (9) 63 15-15 / 4th
2. Vanderbilt (3) 54 16-14 / 3rd
3. Tennessee 39 11-18 / 5th
4. Kentucky 31 20-10 / 1st
5. Georgia 30 18-12 / 2nd
6. Florida 29 10-20 / 6th
Western Division
Team Pts. '06 SEC Rec/Finish
1. Arkansas (11) 66 18-12 / 2nd
2. Ole Miss (1) 53 17-13 / 3rd
3. Alabama 47 20-10 / 1st
4. LSU 33 13-17 / 4th
5. Auburn 24 9-21/ 6th
6. Mississippi St. 23 12-17 / 5th
( ) - First Place Votes
