USC Aiken Picked Seventh in PBC Preseason Baseball Poll
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken
baseball team was picked to finish seventh in the Peach Belt
Conference Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll released by the league
office on Friday, Jan. 27.
Preseason national No. 1 Francis Marion has been dubbed the Peach
Belt Conference preseason favorite. Columbus State was picked
second, while Georgia College was tabbed third.
One of the most tradition-rich programs in all of NCAA Division II
baseball, USC Aiken enters the 2012 season looking to return to its
past glories, which includes having been to the NCAA Regionals five
times since 2005.
The five consecutive trips to the regionals for the Pacers from
2005-09 was punctuated by USC Aiken playing host to the NCAA
Division II Southeast Regional at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in May
of 2009. The Pacers were unable to advance to the Division II
Baseball Championships that season, losing in the championship game
of the regional.
Since then, the Pacers have been on the outside looking in when it
came NCAA selection time. USC Aiken head baseball coach Kenny
Thomas believes that he has a squad that will make that change in
the 2012 season. In fact, he believes that he has a team that is
ready to compete not only in the Peach Belt Conference and
regionally, but also nationally.
The 2012 Pacers feature a squad that returns eight starting
position players to go along with two starting pitchers. Included
among the eight returning starters is 2012 Preseason All-American
Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden), who enters the season as a
four-year starter for the Pacers at shortstop.
In total, USC Aiken welcomes back 21 letterwinners to go along with
23 newcomers. USC Aiken’s line-up will also be buoyed by the
return of 2010 First-Team All-American selection and 2012 Peach
Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference selection Nick Aranas
(Lexington, S.C./Lexington), who had to sit out all of the 2011
campaign due to injury.
The 2012 USC Aiken baseball schedule features 32 home games at
Roberto Hernandez Stadium. USC Aiken’s 2012 schedule will
commence with 13 straight home games at the ‘Bert as the
Pacers will play all their games in February at home.
For the eighth straight year, USC Aiken will play its first
three-game series of the year against Lincoln Memorial. The
familiar foes will open their 2012 seasons with a 4 p.m. contest on
Friday, Feb. 3. The three-game series between the Pacers and
Railsplitters will end with single 1 p.m. games on Saturday, Feb. 4
and Sunday, Feb. 5.
The 2012 coaches poll is below; teams were given 11 points for a
first-place vote, 10 for a second, etc. Coaches were not permitted
to rank their own teams.
2012 Peach Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
- Francis Marion
- Columbus State
- Georgia College
- UNC Pembroke
- Armstrong Atlantic State
- North Georgia
- USC Aiken
- Lander
- Augusta State
- Flagler
- Georgia Southwestern
- Montevallo
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