Jan. 27, 2004

RICHARDSON, Texas - Hardin-Simmons baseball team was picked fourth in the preseason American Southwest Conference West Division poll that was voted on by conference coaches and sports information directors and was released today.

The Cowboys are coming off a 20-20 campaign and return a solid nucleus and with the addition of several impact newcomers should be in the race for the top spot throughout the season.

Leading the way for the Cowboys will junior outfielder Michael Popino, junior shortstop Barry Janisse, senior first baseman Andy Harrington and junior college transfers Michael Simpson in centerfield and Scott Drake at catcher. Justin Wilson, a mid-semester transfer from ACU, will play the outfield and be one of the Cowboys front line pitchers as well.

Kyle Tabor, Craig Foreman, Matt Hinds and Jonathan Emens return for the pitching staff and new faces Josh Cosby, Cory Summers, Patrick Brandt and Brian Arnold will give the Cowboys one of their deepest pitching staffs in recent history.

Two-time defending ASC West champion Texas Lutheran is projected to win a third division title, earning nine first-place votes and 112 points from the voters. Predicted second-place finisher McMurry University earned four first-place votes and 105 points, squeaking past last season's ASC West runner-up Concordia University at Austin (102 pts.) who earned one first-place vote. HSU (79 pts) completes the upper half of the ASC West.

Howard Payne University was picked fifth (58 pts.), University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at sixth (52 pts.), Schreiner University at seventh (35 pts., two first-place votes) and Sul Ross State University at eighth (33 pts.) complete the ASC West picks.

McMurry's Josh Lee was picked as the preseason player of the year. Mississippi College was picked to repeat in the East.

The Cowboys open the season February 13 against Oklahoma Baptist. AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE 2004 PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL Voted within division by institution's head coach and sports information director First-place votes in parentheses

EAST DIVISION Pts. 2003 Records 1. Mississippi College (11) 120 2. Univ. of Texas at Dallas (5) 116 3. East Texas Baptist 87 4. Louisiana College 76 5. Univ. of Texas at Tyler 70 6. LeTourneau 45 7. Univ. of the Ozarks 40 8. Austin College 22

WEST DIVISION 1. Texas Lutheran (9) 112 2. McMurry (4) 105 3. Concordia-Austin (1) 102 4. Hardin-Simmons 79 5. Howard Payne 58 6. Mary Hardin-Baylor 52 7. Schreiner (2) 35 8. Sul Ross State 33