SHREVEPORT, La. – The LSUS Pilots baseball team begins 2009 in familiar territory, entering the season as the No. 15 ranked team in NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll and the No. 17 ranked NAIA team in Collegiate Baseball, while also being selected as the preseason favorite in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

LSUS, the 2008 GCAC Tournament champions and Region XIII Tournament Runner-up, was picked first out of seven GCAC teams in the preseason poll, as selected by the league’s coaches and sports information directors.  The Pilots took the top spot with 57 votes, including seven first-place votes.

In 2008, LSUS Baseball compiled a single season school-record .746 winning percentage with a 47-16, while finishing the season ranked as the No. 18 team in the country, and reaching the No. 11 spot at one point during the year.  The Pilots return seven position starters in 2009, including All-Conference and All-Region catcher Andrew Brouillette.

LSUS will open up the 2009 season January 23 on the road when they take on last year's regular season GCAC champions, the Mobile Rams.

2008 GCAC Preseason Poll

1. LSUS (7)               57 points 
2. Mobile (5)              55 points
3. Belhaven               44 points 
4. William Carey          36 points 
5. Spring Hill              26 points 
6. Loyola                   22 points 
7. Tougaloo               12 points