Coastal Carolina the preseason choice to win Big South baseball title

Coastal Carolina was a near-unanimous favorite to claim the 2016 Big South baseball title, announced Thursday after all votes by coaches in the conference were tallied.

It was the first time since 2012 that the Chanticleers were a preseason favorite to earn the Big South championship. Of 11 first place votes, Coastal Carolina picked up 10 of them and 120 out of a possible 121 total points.

Last season, the team finished with a 39-21 record and an at-large berth in the NCAA baseball tournament. A number of those who were part of last year’s club return, including eight starters, a pair of pitchers and its three top relievers.

As a result, Coastal Carolina is ranked in three preseason polls – Baseball America (No. 23), D1Baseball.com (No. 23) and PerfectGame.org (No. 21).

Winthrop was second in the preseason poll with 102 total points, with Liberty picked to finish third and High Point fourth. Defending Big South champion Radford was picked to finish fifth.

High Point junior outfielder Josh Greene was chosen by Big South coaches as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year. A two-time All-Big South performer, he led the Panthers with a .355 batting average, in addition to his 66 hits and 37 RBI.

Winthrop pitcher Matt Crohan was picked as the league’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year after finishing 7-4 with 87 strikeouts in 76.2 innings as a sophomore last season. He held opponents to a .220 batting average, fourth-best in the Big South.

Coastal Carolina begins its 2016 baseball campaign on Feb. 19, when it takes on Appalachian State.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Coastal Carolina the preseason choice to win Big South baseball title."