The William Jewell baseball team has been selected 10th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll, as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon. This year's preseason poll ranks teams 1-14, as opposed to East and West Divisions in years past.  That led to four teams earning first-place votes by the league coaches and just 10 points separating first and fourth place.

The Cardinals are coming off a 23-26 campaign in 2018, including an 11-17 mark in GLVC play and welcome back All-GLVC West first team selection Chase Redick in right field. The senior led Jewell with a .333 average, 38 RBI, 16 doubles, and four home runs. Also back is senior shortstop Trent Bollman, and juniors Ben Pautler (CF) and Christian Chalabi (1B) who each started better than 40 games last season. 

On the mound, Jewell will need to replace All-GLVC West first team performer Brendan Beatty but will welcome back Wyatt Schulz, Jace Burdette, Mack Stephenson, and Kylan Easley who each started at least four games. In addition, Reed Pegram, Canyon Mallory, and Jacob Compton are back after appearing in at least 10 contests in relief. 

Bellarmine University has been selected to win the 2019 GLVC Baseball Championship after garnering 156 total points and six of the 14 first-place votes, followed by the University of Illinois Springfield in second with 150 points and a pair of first-place votes.  Quincy University picked up two first-place markers and 147 points to sit third in the poll, just one point ahead of the University of Southern Indiana, which earned 146 points and the final four first-place votes.

Drury University (122) has been picked to finish fifth, while the University of Indianapolis (106), Missouri S&T (92), Maryville University (81), Lewis University (72) and William Jewell College (57) are sixth through 10^th, respectively.  The University of Missouri-St. Louis (53), Rockhurst University (39), McKendree University (29) and Truman State University (24) round out the poll.

Jewell opens the season on February 8 as they travel to Weatherford, Oklahoma for a three-game set with Southwestern Oklahoma State. The home opener will be on Saturday, March 2 as the Cardinals host Illinois Springfield for a non-conference three-game series. The Conference will host the 2019 GLVC Championship Tournament on May 9-12 at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri.


The complete 2019 GLVC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll follows:
 

2019 GLVC Baseball Preseason Poll
Place	School	Points (First Place Votes)
1	Bellarmine	156 (6)
2	Illinois Springfield	150 (2)
3	Quincy	147 (2)
4	Southern Indiana	146 (4)
5	Drury	122
6	Indianapolis	106
7	Missouri S&T	92
8	Maryville	81
9	Lewis	72
10	William Jewell	57
11	Missouri-St. Louis	53
12	Rockhurst	39
13	McKendree	29
14	Truman State	24