INDIANAPOLIS – The GLVC announced its first spring preseason poll Tuesday afternoon, with the UIndy baseball team picked to finish seventh by conference coaches in 2020..
 
Led by second-year head coach Al Ready, the Greyhounds have a lot of offense to replace from a season ago, losing four of their top five hitters. Senior third baseman Hunter Waning returns after playing 49 of the team's 50 games last year, hitting .262 while placing fourth on the team in doubles. In the outfield, UIndy will have one familiar in Trey Smith, who started in 36 times in right field and two in center as a sophomore.

Meanwhile, the pitching staff has a number of returners from last year's squad, including All-GLVC selection Reid Werner. The Greenwood, Ind., native went 7-1 with a team-high 78 punch outs in 2019. As a whole, the Hounds finished fifth in the conference in opposing batting average last season, holding opponents to a .268 average.
 
UIndy opens its season in a little over two weeks when they head to Johnson City, Tenn., for an in-region series against Hillsdale College. The series between the Hounds and the Chargers will be the first time the two teams have faced off since they met in the NCAA Regional in 2016 when UIndy beat Hillsdale, 4-1.

2020 GLVC PRESEASON COACHES POLL

RK	SCHOOL (1st-place votes)	PTS
1.	Bellarmine (10)	212
2.	Quincy (3)	202
3.	Southern Indiana (1)	186
4.	Drury	180
5.	Illinois Springfield	169
6.	Maryville	159
7.	UIndy	144
8.	Lindenwood (1)	143
9.	Missouri S&T	117
10.	Lewis	106
11.	William Jewell	71
12.	Southwest Baptist	70
13.	McKendree	49
14.	Missouri-St. Louis	47
15.	Rockhurst	33
16.	Truman	32