Jan. 28, 2003

RICHARDSON, Texas - Two defending champions -- Mississippi College in the East and Concordia University-Austin in the West -- have been tabbed as the favorites in the 2003 American Southwest Conference baseball division races by conference head coaches, sports information directors and media. Hardin-Simmons was picked for a fifth-place finish.

Concordia-Austin won both the ASC Baseball Tournament and NCAA West Regional titles and advanced to the NCAA-III College World Series a year ago after finishing second in the West Division (35-13, 20-7 ASC). The Tornados totaled 13 first-place votes and 132 points in the 2003 preseason poll.

Defending West champion Texas Lutheran nabbed three first-place votes and was picked to finish second (120 pts.) while ASC Tournament runner-up Howard Payne was picked third (108 pts.). McMurry (87), Hardin-Simmons (67), Sul Ross State (46), Mary Hardin-Baylor (42) and Schreiner (38) were predicted to finish fourth through eighth in the West Division.

The Cowboys return six starting position players and six pitchers also return from last season's 18-22 team. The Cowboys won the last five games of the year last year.

Mississippi College, the defending East Division champion (29-14, 17-7 ASC), collected 12 first-place votes and 105 points to outdistance second-place pick University of Texas at Dallas who totaled 98 points and four first-place votes. East Texas Baptist (71 pts.), Louisiana College (68), LeTourneau (49), University of the Ozarks (32) and Austin College (25) were picked to finish third through seventh in the East Division.

Mississippi College sophomore pitcher Sam Graham was selected as East Division Preseason Player of the Year while senior center fielder Oscar Luna of Howard Payne was named West Division Preseason Player of the Year.