The Nebraska Wesleyan University baseball team was picked to finish in a tie for ninth in the 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Baseball Preseason Coaches’ poll that was recently released on Jan. 25. The Prairie Wolves received 31 total points in the poll to tie with Dakota Wesleyan University for ninth.

Doane College totaled 96 points and eight first place votes to be picked to repeat as conference champions. Northwestern College received 91 points and three first place votes for second and Hastings College had 74 points to finish third in the poll. Points were assigned on a 10-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.

Nebraska Wesleyan head coach Bill Fagler, who begins his seventh season at NWU, has a lot of optimism heading into the 2012 season as he returns 21 letterwinners from the 2011 team that finished 12-24 overall, 8-14 in the GPAC to just miss the GPAC Postseason Tournament. The Prairie Wolves return seven starters and the top four starting pitchers.

NWU is currently participating in preseason drills and the Prairie Wolves are scheduled to begin the 2012 season on Feb. 28 with a trip to take on Manhattan Christian College in a doubleheader in Manhattan, Kan. Nebraska Wesleyan’s first home game is scheduled for March 6 when they will host York College.

The GPAC baseball season will consist of 20 games (10 doubleheaders) and conclude with the GPAC Postseason Tournament on May 3-5 hosted by NWU at Haymarket Park and Sherman Field in Lincoln.

2012 GPAC Baseball Coaches’ Poll

Team (1st Place Votes) Pts

1. Doane (8) 96

2. Northwestern (3) 91

3. Hastings 74

4. Morningside 70

5. Mount Marty 69

6. Midland 63

T7. Briar Cliff 35

T7. Concordia 35

T9. Nebraska Wesleyan 31

T9. Dakota Wesleyan 31

11. Dordt 10