USI Baseball picked to win GLVC East

The 13^th-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team is picked to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s East Division, in a poll voted on by the league’s head coaches.

The Screaming Eagles received eight first-place votes to tally 91 points. Bellarmine University was picked second in the East with four first-place votes and 83 points, ahead of the University of Illinois Springfield in third, who received the other three first-place votes and 76 points.

Rounding out the East Division, the University of Indianapolis is fourth (60 points), Lewis University fifth (46), McKendree University sixth (29) and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside last (28).

In the West, 16^th-ranked Quincy University received 13 first place votes and 111 points, topping second-place Drury University, who received 96 points and one first-place vote. Missouri University of Science & Technology was picked third (78), followed by William Jewell College (63), and Maryville University (59), which received the final first place vote. Rockhurst University and Truman State University tied for sixth (47), while the University of Missouri-St. Louis rounded out the division with 31 points.

On the mound, USI returns senior right-handers Kyle Griffin and Devin Williams. Griffin was named first-team All-GLVC East Division in 2017, posting a 6-3 record with a 3.45 ERA, setting the single-season school record with 86 strikeouts. Williams, who missed 2017 due to injury, was named to the second-team All-GLVC East Division in 2016 after posting a 5-3 record with 50 strikeouts and a 1.95 ERA.

Looking to lead the Eagles at the plate will be senior infielder Sam Griggs and senior outfielder Drake McNamara, along with junior infielder Jacob Fleming. McNamara led the team in average, home runs and RBIs a year ago, hitting .368 with seven homers and 43 RBIs, earning first-team All-GLVC East Division and first-team All Midwest Region honors.

Griggs batted .293 last season with 40 RBIs on his way to being named second-team All-GLVC East Division, while Fleming was a first-team All-GLVC East Division performer scoring 29 runs, stealing 11 bases, driving in 14 runs and batting .298 in the leadoff position.

USI begins the season with a doubleheader February 16 at top-ranked Delta State University, before a neutral site, non-conference matchup against Quincy the following day. The GLVC Tournament will be May 10-13 at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri.