VMI senior first baseman Jake Huggins was named to the 2019 Southern Conference Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team on Thursday, earning a second-team spot.
The Keydets were selected eighth in the league by media members and ninth by the coaches in a preseason vote.
Huggins, from Richmond, Va., earned second-team All-SoCon honors at the conclusion of the 2018 season. He hit .280 with 10 doubles, a triple and four home runs, scoring 27 runs while driving in 31. He played in 48 of the team’ 53 games with 47 starts.
VMI finished fourth in the conference last season posting a 12-12 SoCon mark and 26-27 overall. The Keydets open the season next weekend in Wilmington, N.C., playing two games each against UNCW and Saint Joseph’s University Feb. 15-17.
Furman University was picked first in both the coaches and media polls with UNCG in second. Caleb Webster from UNCG is the Pre-Season Player of the Year while Sam Strickland of Samford University was tabbed as the Pitcher of the Year.
2019 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
- Samford (7) 63
- UNCG (2) 55
- Mercer 52
- ETSU 35
- Wofford 33
- Western Carolina 31
- Furman 24
- The Citadel 22
- VMI 9
Preseason Media Poll
- Samford (11) 123
- UNCG (1) 107
- Mercer (2) 98
- Wofford 83
- ETSU 64
- Furman 49
- Western Carolina 46
- VMI 32
- The Citadel 28