Tampa Unanimous Number One in SSC Coaches Preseason Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The University of Tampa baseball team is the unanimous No. 1 team in the 2016 Sunshine State Conference preseason baseball coaches poll. The defending NCAA Division II National Champions received 64 total votes and eight first-place votes in the poll.

Nova Southeastern comes in second with 55 votes, while Florida Tech received the final first place vote and were tied for third with Lynn as they each received 44 votes. Saint Leo and Florida Southern round out the top five, as they each received 35 votes.

UT finished second in the SSC last season as they went 16-8 in SSC play. The Spartans earned the three seed in the NCAA South Region Tournament, as they won all four games in the regional to advance to the 2015 NCAA Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C.

In Cary, the Spartans went 4-0, as they defeated Catawba 3-1 in the championship game. Michael Calkins was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player, as the left-handed starter threw a complete game four-hitter to seal the National Title.

The Spartans return two position players from last year's starting lineup, Cody deNoyelles and Casey Scoggins. 

deNoyelles hit .362 last season as he was tied for the team lead with 77 hits, including 13 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs. He also tallied 47 runs, 44 RBI and six stolen bases. deNoyelles was named NCBWA honorable mention All-South Region and first-team All-Sunshine State Conference. He was named to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team and was also awarded SSC Offensive Player of the Week (2/23). 

Scoggins hit .350 last year as he also recorded 77 hits on the season, including eight doubles, two triples and one home run. He ranked 25th in the nation with 61 runs scored as he added 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He was awarded the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove and was named National Defender of the Year. Scoggins was named to the NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA South Regional Tournament.

Returning on the mound for UT is Michael Calkins. Calkins stepped into the starter role midway through the year, as he concluded his junior campaign with a 6-4 record and a 3.18 ERA. He ranked second on the team with 61 strikeouts and recorded one save. He also earned Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championships.

Tampa starts their season on Friday, January 29th, as they host Bentley University at 6:00 PM. Conference play begins on February 26th, as they host Barry University for a three-game series.

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2016 SSC BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL