TCU Picked To Win MWC Title
2/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 11, 2011
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU Horned Frog baseball team was selected to win its sixth consecutive Mountain West Conference title, according to a vote of the seven MWC head coaches and a selected media panel. TCU received all 16 first-place votes. Additionally, six players earned preseason all-conference recognition.
Under the direction of 2010 NCBWA Coach of the Year Jim Schlossnagle, TCU returns its entire starting rotation and seven starting position players from a Horned Frog squad that finished the season with a 54-14 overall (21-5 MWC) record and No. 3 ranking in the final polls. The Frogs captured both the Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament titles before advancing to the semifinals of the 2010 College World Series.
Consensus 2010 Freshman Pitcher of the Year Matt Purke (So./LHP) headlines the list of TCU returnees and is joined by fellow all-MWC performers Steven Maxwell (Sr./RHP); Kyle Winkler (Jr./RHP); Jason Coats (Jr./OF); Taylor Featherston (Jr./SS); Jerome Pena (Sr./2B) and Brance Rivera (Jr./OF). TCU enters the 2011 campaign ranked No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls, and No. 3 in the Baseball America poll.
Purke, Maxwell, Coats, Featherston, Pena and Jantzen Witte were all tabbed preseason all-conference.
2011 MWC PRESEASON POLL
(selected by MWC head coaches and media)
Rk. Team (1st place votes) Points
1. TCU (16) 112
2. BYU 84
3. San Diego State 75
4. New Mexico 71
5. UNLV 45
6. Utah 43
7. Air Force 18
