ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State baseball team was pegged for a sixth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference, while returning Redbirds Jacob Hendren and Joe Kelch were named to the preseason all-conference team, the league announced Wednesday.
The preseason poll and all-conference team were voted on by league coaches. Missouri State was picked to win the league, with five of eight first-place votes, and the Bears landed three players on the preseason all-conference team, tied for tops in the league with Wichita State.
Missouri State received 60 voter points to edge out Dallas Baptist for preseason favorite status.