PEMBROKE, N.C. --- Tusculum College is ranked ninth according to the National Baseball Writers Association's NCAA Division Southeast Region Preseason Poll. Pioneer second baseman Zack Finchum was also named to the NCBWA Preseason All-Southeast Region first team.
Tusculum received 37 points and is one of two South Atlantic Conference program ranked in the NCBWA Preseason Region Poll.
USC Aiken is top-ranked team in this year's inaugural region poll with 119 and nine first place votes. SAC member Catawba is second with 102 points and one first place nod. Belmont Abbey is third with 91 points and a first place vote. Mount Olive (80) and Lander (65) are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. Columbus State is sixth with 64 points and one first place vote. North Georgia (52) is seventh, followed by Erskine (38), Tusculum and UNC Pembroke (16).
Finchum, a sophomore from Greeneville, Tennessee garnered All-SAC second team honors last season as he finished second on the team with his .337 batting average while totaling 61 hits including 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 28 RBI. The Greeneville High School graduate went 6-of-8 in stolen bases and finished third on the roster with his 102 fielding assists. The 2017 Preseason All-SAC first team choice tallied 15 multiple hit game and boasted an 11-game hitting streak from Apr. 2-19 where he batted .512 (22-of-43) during that span.
The NCBWA Region Ranking are an indicator of week-to-week status of qualified programs and in no way should be used as a guide or indicator of eligibility for NCAA championship selection.
Tusculum head coach Doug Jones, who is entering his 20th season in Greeneville, returns 15 lettermen, including seven pitchers from last year's team that posted a 38-18 record, earned a share of the SAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a seventh time in program history. The Pioneers have recorded 16 consecutive winning seasons, including 14 in a row with 30-plus wins.
Tusculum opens the 2017 season this Friday night as the Pioneers travel to top-ranked and defending national champion Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
NCBWA Preseason NCAA II Southeast Region Poll
1 - USC Aiken (9)
2 - Catawba (1)
3 - Belmont Abbey (1)
4 - Mount Olive
5 - Lander
6 - Columbus St. (1)
7 - North Georgia
8 - Erskine
9 - TUSCULUM
10 - UNC Pembroke
Others Receiving Votes: Newberry 15, Georgia College 14, Carson-Newman 8, Barton 2, Flagler 2, Augusta 1, North Greenville 1.
NCBWA Preseason NCAA II All-Southeast Region Team
First Team
SP - Ethan Elliott, Lincoln Memorial
SP - Dylan Ward, Barton
SP - Bruce Zimmerman, Mount Olive
RP - Bryan Blanton, Catawba
1B - Henry Faunce, Erskine
2B - Zack Finchum, Tusculum
3B - Derek Olenchuck, Newberry
SS - Colin Rosenbaum, Belmont Abbey
OF - Nick Beinlich, Belmont Abbey
OF - Garrett Lowery, Limestone
OF - Clint Hardy, Augusta
DH - Zach Moon, USC Aiken
UT - Brooks Kennedy, Francis Marion
