FULL MVC RELEASE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team was selected sixth in the annual Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll and two Purple Aces were named to the Preseason All-MVC Team, as announced by the league office Wednesday afternoon.
 
Sixth-year head coach Wes Carroll's squad returns 19 letterwinners and five position starters from last year's team that finished 24-34 overall and placed fifth in the final MVC standings with a 10-10 mark in league play.  The Aces garnered 25 total points in this year's poll that was voted on by the league's coaches and had two players, senior Jake Mahon and redshirt junior Kevin Kaczmarski, selected to the preseason all-conference team.
 
Wichita State was tabbed as the league favorite, as the 2013 MVC Tournament champions received six of the eight first-place votes for a total of 56 total points, edging second place Missouri State (55), who claimed the other two first-place votes, by a single point.  Defending regular-season champion Illinois State was tabbed third with 46 points, followed by conference newcomer Dallas Baptist, who racked up 44 points.  Southern Illinois (28), Evansville (25), Indiana State (23) and Bradley (11) rounded out the poll.
 
Kaczmarski, who was an All-MVC First Team selection last season, was one of three outfielders named to the Preseason All-MVC Team.  The Cary, Ill., native led UE with a .339 batting average, .504 slugging percentage, six home runs, 15 doubles, 48 runs scored and 15 stolen bases last season, and put together a team-high 39-game on-base streak, as he failed to reach base in only two of the 57 games he appeared in last season. 
 
Mahon joined Kaczmarski on the Preseason All-MVC Team as a utility player, after hitting .322 with a homer, 14 RBI and 22 runs scored last season.  A native of Plain City, Ohio, Mahon was limited to just 34 games last season due to injury, but ranked second on the team with a .421 slugging percentage and .418 on-base percentage.
 
Evansville opens its 2014 season with a three-game series at Lipscomb beginning Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. at Dugan Field in Nashville, Tenn.
 
BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1.    Wichita State                    56 (6)
2.    Missouri State                  55 (2)
3.    Illinois State                      46
4.    Dallas Baptist                   44
5.    Southern Illinois                28
6.    Evansville                         25
7.    Indiana State                    23
8.    Bradley                             11
 
PRESEASON ALL-MVC TEAM
1B – Casey Gillaspie, Wichita State
2B – Chris Godinez, Bradley
3B – Brock Stewart, Illinois State
SS – Jake Welch, Southern Illinois
C – Tyler Baker, Wichita State
UT – Jake Mahon, Evansville
DH – Greg Partyka, Bradley
OF – Garrett Bayliff, Wichita State
OF – Kevin Kaczmarski, Evansville
OF – Tate Matheny, Missouri State
SP – Jon Harris, Missouri State
SP – Dan Savas, Illinois State
RP – Aaron LaBrie, Wichita State
RP – Jeremy Rhoades, Illinois State