SEC Coaches Pick State, Florida To Win 2006 SEC Divisional Crowns
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Defending SEC Tournament champion Mississippi State and defending overall champ Florida are the picks of the SEC baseball coaches to win their respective divisional crowns in 2006 in the league's 15th annual preseason coaches poll.
The Bulldogs nipped 2005 SEC West winner LSU for the top spot in the Western Division while Florida's Gators beat out South Carolina for top preseason honors in the SEC East. Florida received eight of 11 possible votes as the favorite to repeat as the league's overall champion.
Behind Mississippi State in the coaches' projections for the SEC West are Louisiana State, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Auburn. Florida heads up the SEC East ahead of South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Kentucky.
The 2006 baseball campaign begins this weekend for two SEC teams when Auburn entertains VMI and Tennessee visits Florida Atlantis in three-game weekend series.
Mississippi State begins its preseason practice Feb. 6 at Dudy Noble Field in advance of a season-opening three-game home series Feb. 24-26 against Marist College. The Bulldogs, ranked as high as 13th in the preseason national rankings, open the 2006 campaign with an 11-game home stand.
Points in the coaches' poll were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team and each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.
2006 SEC PRESEASON BASEBALL COACHES POLL
| Rank | Team | Pts. | '05 SEC Rec/Finish |
| Eastern Division | |||
| 1. | Florida (11) | 66 | 20-10 / 1st |
| 2. | S. Carolina (1) | 55 | 16-14 / 3rd |
| 3. | Tennessee | 46 | 18-11 / 2nd |
| 4. | Vanderbilt | 30 | 13-17 / 4th |
| 5. | Georgia | 29 | 12-17 / 5th |
| 6. | Kentucky | 17 | 7-22 / 6th |
| Western Division | |||
| 1. | Miss. State (5) | 54 | 13-16 / 4th |
| 2. | LSU (3) | 51 | 18/12 / t1st |
| 3. | Arkansas (3) | 49 | 13-17 / t5th |
| 4. | Alabama (1) | 41 | 17-13 / 3rd |
| 5. | Ole Miss | 34 | 18-12 / t1st |
| 6. | Auburn | 17 | 13-17 / t5th |
( ) - First Place Votes
SEC Champion: Florida (8); LSU (3); Arkansas (1)