Bowling Green, KY – Patriots baseball has been selected as favorites to win the 2021 MSC Baseball regular season title, according to the coaches' preseason poll. UC earned the number one slot after picking up 93 points and 11 first-place votes, conference officials announced Friday.

The Patriots earned four more votes than runner-up Freed-Hardeman, who was slotted second with 89 points and four first place votes. Campbellsville was selected to finish third, garnering 84 points and a single first place vote.

UC was picked as a co-favorite in last season's preseason poll, earning 44 points and three first-place votes. The 49-point jump reflects the on-going success the program has bred in the last few seasons. Last season, the Patriots boasted a record of 22-3 before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This season presents exciting expectations surrounding the program, thanks in part to a returning veteran core. With eligibility granted for another season, UC's roster includes an impressive nine seniors, the majority of whom were key line-up pieces a season ago including NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and MSC First Team selection Bryan Leef. Leef led the team in hits, homeruns and stolen bases in 2020. Veteran infielder and former MSC All-Conference selection Pedro Nazario will also man his infield post once more for UC in 2021, following a 2020 campaign in which he recorded 31 hits including a team-high eight doubles. In addition, the Patriots return a seasoned and talented pitching staff that includes a pair of top-tier senior right-handers in Colton Easterwood and Nathan Geissler. Along with the impressive returners, the coaching staff has also brought in a plethora of talented newcomers who are ready to make an impact in 2021.

Over the last five seasons, the Patriots have posted a record of 191-64 overall and an impressive 49-24 in MSC play. UC has made it to the conference championship game twice in the same span, highlighted by a MSC tournament title in 2017 and a pair of regular season titles in 2018 and 2019. 

Under the program's winningest coach, Brad Shelton, the Patriots have become perennial contenders at both the conference and national level. The team has competed in the NAIA World Series Opening round three times since their first appearance in 2017, also hosting the opening rounds in 2018 and 2019. The MSC features several marquee programs, with competition improving every season. UC has a challenging road ahead, with the conference stretch featuring a handful of teams making appearences in last year's NAIA Top 25 poll.
 

It is nice to be recognized in this poll by the coaches, but we know we have a lot to prove.  This was a tough coaches poll to vote for. While I feel we have a great team, several teams are really loaded as well.  With the additional teams in the MSC, this will be arguably the best league in the NAIA.  It's going to be a fun spring.

UC baseball will begin their 2021 campaign in the spring, with schedule information released in the coming months.

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