Jim Brownlee, baseball coach at Illinois State, understands why the Redbird baseball team was picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conferences preseason baseball poll released Friday by the league. However, that doesnt mean he plans to let it affect his goal of winning the Valley tournament.
Respect is earned and this pick is based on last season, said Brownlee. This year, our goals are higher. There are a lot of good teams in the league this season and realistically I can see why we were picked seventh. But the key is who is playing well in May and that is what we plan to focus on.
Jon Peacock, the 2002 Valley batting champion (.406), was named to the Preseason All-Conference First Team as a second baseman. He was named to the All-MVC second team last season with 76 hits, 48 RBI, 17 doubles and nine home runs.
Illinois State received 33 points in the voting of league baseball coaches. SMS received six first-place votes and 78 points for the top spot, while Wichita State had two first-place votes and 65 points to take second.
The Birds open the 2003 season with a three-game road series at Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky., that begins Friday, February 21 at 2 p.m.
2003 MVC Preseason Baseball Poll
Team (first place votes) Points
1. SMS (6) 78
2. Wichita State (2) 65
3. Indiana State (1) 65
4. Creighton 51
5. Southern Illinois 47
6. Northern Iowa 35
7. Illinois State 33
8. Evansville 19
9. Bradley 15
2003 MVC Preseason All-Conference First Team
Name (Pos.) Yr. School
John Purdom (1B) Sr. Indiana State
Jon Peacock (2B) Sr. Illinois State
Tony Roth (2B) So. Creighton
Shaun Marcum (SS) Jr. SMS
Chris Hall (3B) Sr. Indiana State
Toby Barnett (C) Sr. Southern Illinois
Drew Moffitt (DH) Sr. Wichita State
Dante Brinkley (OF) Sr. SMS
Kevin Egli (OF) Sr. Indiana State
Adam Boeve (OF) Jr. Northern Iowa
Greg Mathis (OF) Sr. SMS
Brad Ziegler (SP) Sr. SMS
Tom Oldham (SP) Jr. Creighton
Steve Grasley (RP) Jr. Creighton
Bob Zimmerman (RP) Jr. SMS
