MONMOUTH, IL (02/19/2020) The Midwest Conference baseball and softball coaches agree that both Monmouth College diamond teams should be in the mix for a title in 2020.
The annual MWC Preseason Coaches’ poll released this week, puts the Scots’ baseball team in a tie for No. 2 in the South Division. Monmouth’s softball team is picked fifth, just one place out of one of the four league playoff berths.
The baseball coaches gave defending champion Cornell the nod as the favorite in the South with six first-place votes and 38 total points. Monmouth and Illinois College each received one first-place vote and 27 points to tie for second. Grinnell picked up the remaining first-place vote and 26 points for fourth. Knox was fifth with 13 points.
The University of Chicago was named the favorite in baseball’s North Division with eight first-place votes and 44 points, well ahead of No. 2 St. Norbert, which tallied 33 points and one first-place vote. Ripon is on the Green Knights’ heels with 32 points after picking up the final first-place vote. Beloit (22) and Lawrence (13) round out the North’s rankings.
There are no divisions on the softball diamond, where the coaches gave Lake Forest the nod as the favorite with eight first-place votes and 79 points. It’s a close call for the next three positions, as No. 2 Illinois College garnered 68 points and one first-place vote, slightly ahead of St. Norbert and Cornell which gained 63 and 61 points, respectively, with the Rams collected the remaining first-place vote.
Fifth-place Monmouth has a slight edge over No. 6 Grinnell after the Scots won a 47-44 vote on the ballot. The bottom four are Lawrence (32), Ripon (29), Knox (15) and Beloit (12).
The Scots open league play for baseball and softball March 28. Baseball opens with a noon twinbill at Knox, while softball is at home with Cornell for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
***Report Courtesy of Monmouth College***
