Coming off their most successful season in school history, the Nebraska Wesleyan University baseball team is the 2010 favorite in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) baseball coaches’ preseason poll that was released on Tuesday (Jan. 26). NWU received 130 points and six first place votes to land first on the poll. Dakota Wesleyan University got 112 points and three first place votes to finish second in the poll.

The Prairie Wolves, who were the 2009 GPAC Regular Season Champions, set a school record for wins last season posting a 28-13 overall record (18-6 in GPAC). They qualified for the NAIA National Baseball Tournament for the first time since 2000, while the GPAC Championship was just their second GPAC title.

Head Coach Bill Fagler, who is entering his fifth season at NWU, returns 15 letterwinners from the 2009 squad, including all four starting pitchers and four players that earned All-GPAC recognition last season.

The GPAC baseball season will once again consist of 24 games (12 doubleheaders) and conclude with the GPAC Postseason Tournament on May 6-8 in Mitchell, S.D., at Cadwell Park and Drake Field. The GPAC regular season champion and tournament champion both receive automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.

Nebraska Wesleyan is scheduled to open their season on Feb. 27 with a doubleheader at Sterling College in Sterling, Kan.

2010 GPAC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll