SEC baseball coaches like Florida again to win the championship

USC outfielder Evan Marzilli and teammates will try to prove SEC coaches wrong

The Florida Gators are predicted to repeat as the 2012 Southeastern Conference baseball champions, as voted by the league’s 12 baseball coaches in the 21st annual preseason SEC poll.

The Gators, ranked No. 1 nationally in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, seek to capture their 13th SEC Championship. UF returns seven position starters and nine pitchers from its 2011 squad which claimed a share of the overall SEC Championship and advanced to the College World Series finals versus South Carolina.

Since 1996, the SEC has named a regular season champion as well as a tournament champion. Prior to 1996, the tournament champion was considered the SEC Champion.

In addition to picking a preseason SEC champion, the league’s head coaches voted a predicted order of finish in the SEC Eastern and Western Divisions. In the Western Division, Arkansas was the favorite with 64 of a possible 66 points. LSU came in second with 58 points and Alabama third with 38. Florida was the favorite in the Eastern Division with all 66 points. South Carolina, the two-time defending National Champions, was second with 56, while Georgia finished third with 42.

Eastern Division

Team Pts. ’11 SEC Rec/Finish

1) Florida 66 22-8 / T-1st

2) S. Carolina 56 22-8 / T-1st

3) Georgia 42 16-14 / 4th

4) Vanderbilt 40 22-8/T-1st

5) Kentucky 25 8-22 / 5th

6) Tennessee 18 7-23 / 6th

Western Division

Team Pts. ’11 SEC Rec/Finish

1) Arkansas 64 15-15 / 1st

2) LSU 58 13-17 / T-5th

3) Alabama 38 14-16 / T-2nd

4) Ole Miss 34 13-17 / T-5th

5) Miss. State 33 14-16 / T-2nd

6) Auburn 20 14-16 / T-2nd 

SEC Champion: Florida