The Southern Conference’s baseball coaches and media have picked Appalachian State University to place sixth in the league’s preseason polls, the SoCon office announced on Thursday.

Appalachian returns five position starters and four starting pitchers from last year’s club that finished seventh in the SoCon with a 14-14-1 conference record. The 2010 Mountaineers posted the second-highest win total in ASU history with a 38-18-1 overall record. Three of the 38 victories came at the SoCon Tournament, where the Apps fell just one win shy of playing in its first conference championship game since 1986.

College of Charleston was the overwhelming choice of the league’s coaches and media to win the 2011 SoCon Championship. The Citadel, Elon, Georgia Southern and Western Carolina comprised Nos. 2-5 in both polls, followed by Appalachian. Samford, Furman, UNC Greensboro, Wofford and Davidson made up the final five in both votes.

Junior catcher Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) was the Mountaineers’ lone representative on the SoCon coaches’ preseason all-conference teams. Dowdy, who is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top defensive backstops and a likley high selection in June’s Major League Baseball Draft, received second-team preseason all-SoCon recognition after hitting .338 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 48 RBI a season ago. 

Appalachian opens the 2011 campaign next weekend (Feb. 18-20) when it hosts a three-game series versus Maryland-Eastern Shore at McNair Field in Forest City, N.C. Game times are set for 5 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $6 per game and can be purchased at the gate. 

2011 SoCon BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
                       Team              Points
1.    College of Charleston (10)    100
2.    Elon    81
    Georgia Southern    81
4.    Western Carolina (1)    79
5.    The Citadel    68
6.    Appalachian State    58
7.    Samford    44
8.    Furman    35
9.    UNC Greensboro    23
    Wofford    23
11.    Davidson    18

2011 SoCon BASEBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
          Team                            Points
1.    College of Charleston (19)    239
2.    The Citadel (1)    196
3.    Elon (1)    193
4.    Georgia Southern (1)    180
5.    Western Carolina (1)    173
6.    Appalachian State    128
7.    Samford    102
8.    Furman    85
9.    Wofford    72
10.    UNC Greensboro    51

11.    Davidson    33

First-place votes in parentheses