Bellarmine University has been selected to win the 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference Baseball Championship, the Conference office announced Tuesday. The Truman Bulldogs were picked 14th.

Truman will open up the season in Searcy, Arkansas against Harding University on February 8-10. The first home game will be Friday, March 1 against Lewis (Ill.) University and first conference game will be at home on Saturday, March 9 against Illinois Springfield. 

This year’s preseason poll ranks teams 1-14, as opposed to East and West Divisions in years past. That led to four teams earning first-place votes by the league coaches and just 10 points separating first and fourth place.

Bellarmine garnered 156 total points and six of the 14 first-place votes, followed by the University of Illinois Springfield in second with 150 points and a pair of first-place votes. Quincy University picked up two first-place markers and 147 points to sit third in the poll, just one point ahead of the University of Southern Indiana, which earned 146 points and the final four first-place votes.

Drury University (122) has been picked to finish fifth, while the University of Indianapolis (106), Missouri S&T (92), Maryville University (81), Lewis University (72) and William Jewell College (57) are sixth through 10th, respectively. The University of Missouri-St. Louis (53), Rockhurst University (39), McKendree University (29) and Truman State University (24) round out the poll.

The complete 2019 GLVC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll follows:

2019 GLVC Baseball Preseason Poll
Place School Points (First Place Votes)
1 Bellarmine 156 (6)
2 Illinois Springfield 150 (2)
3 Quincy 147 (2)
4 Southern Indiana 146 (4)
5 Drury 122
6 Indianapolis 106
7 Missouri S&T 92
8 Maryville 81
9 Lewis 72
10 William Jewell 57
11 Missouri-St. Louis 53
12 Rockhurst 39
13 McKendree 29
14 Truman State 24