By Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - The 14 SEC baseball head coaches compositely surmised that Arkansas would win the SEC West but SEC West member Ole Miss would win the SEC Overall championship that 2021 SEC West champion Arkansas also won last year.
The unusually contrary predictions were based on Ole Miss receiving four Overall championship votes to Arkansas’ three but Arkansas outpolling Ole Miss, 5-4 for best in the West.
Mississippi State, the reigning College World Series national champion though swept three by Arkansas in last season’s SEC series at Starkville, Miss., tied for Ole Miss for preseason second in the SEC West with LSU picked fourth and receiving one first-place vote.
Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn were picked fifth through seventh in the West.
Vanderbilt, with nine first-place votes, was picked to win the SEC East with Florida, three first-place votes, second and Georgia, two first-place votes, third.
Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri were voted to finish fourth through seventh.
One Razorback, junior Preseason All-American second baseman Robert Moore, was voted to the Coaches All-SEC Preseason first team.
Two Razorbacks, sophomore Cayden Wallace of Greenbrier, mostly an outfielder last season but slated to play third base this season, and outfielder Brady Slavens were voted to the Preseason All-SEC second team.
Arkansas begins its season with a 3-game series Feb. 18-20 at Baum-Walker Stadium against Illinois State.
2022 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt (9) - 87
2. Florida (3) - 77
3. Georgia (2) - 68
4. Tennessee - 63
5. South Carolina - 43
6. Kentucky - 34
7. Missouri – 20
Western Division
1. Arkansas (5) - 80
T2. Ole Miss (4) - 77
T2. Mississippi State (4) - 77
4. LSU (1) - 62
5. Alabama - 38
6. Texas A&M - 36
7. Auburn – 22
() – First place votes
SEC Champion: Ole Miss (4), Arkansas (3), Florida (2), Mississippi State (2), Vanderbilt (2), LSU (1)
2022 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Logan Tanner, Mississippi State
1B: Tre' Morgan, LSU
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Jacob Berry, LSU
SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
DH/UTL: Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
SP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Barco, Florida
RP: Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt
Second Team
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tim Elko, Ole Miss
2B: Peyton Chatagnier, Ole Miss
3B: Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
SS: Ryan Ritter, Kentucky
OF: Jordan Beck, Tennessee
OF: Drew Gilbert, Tennessee
OF: Brady Slavens, Arkansas*
OF: Kevin Graham, Ole Miss*
DH/UTL: Luke Hancock, Mississippi State
SP: Jonathan Cannon, Georgia
SP: Will Sanders, South Carolina
RP: Jaden Woods, Georgia