2023 NSIC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll Release

            Wayne State was voted to finish 10th in the 2023 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released Wednesday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.  The Wildcats received 98 points in voting conducted by league coaches after placing ninth in the NSIC last season with records of 19-26 overall and 13-18 in the NSIC.
            Minnesota State, the defending NSIC tournament champions, were voted as the team to beat in the NSIC this season collecting eight first-place votes and 188 points with Augustana, last year's NSIC regular season champions, coming in second at 185 points and five first-place ballots.  St. Cloud State was third with 174 points and the other two first-place votes with UMary and Minot State tied for fourth as each team received 128 points.
            Winona State was sixth at 126 points followed by Minnesota Duluth (113), Sioux Falls (108), Minnesota Crookston (98) and Wayne State (97) closing out the top 10 teams.  Rounding out the coaches' poll were Concordia-St. Paul and Northern State tied for 11^th with 66 points, Upper Iowa (41), Southwest Minnesota State (40) and Bemidji State (17).
            Listed as Wildcats to Watch in the NSIC this season are senior outfielder Colin Lynam and sophomore pitcher Corbin Kirk.
            Lynam, a 6-0, 185-pound senior outfielder from Springfield (Platteview HS/Northeast CC), ranked second on the Wildcat team last season in batting average (.333) and led the team in runs scored with 40.  He had four home runs with 24 RBI and recorded a team-best 17 multi-hit games.
            Kirk, a 6-1, 205-pound sophomore lefthander from Casper, Wyoming, transfers to Wayne State from Western Nebraska Community College where last season he posted a 5-5 record in 50 innings of work with a 4.14 ERA and 78 strikeouts.        
            Wayne State is scheduled to open the 2023 season on Friday, February 17th at Missouri S&T in Rolla, Missouri.  The 'Cats home opener is set for Saturday, March 18^th hosting Minnesota Crookston at 1:30 p.m.
 
2023 NSIC Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll
1.         Minnesota State (8)       188 pts.
2.         Augustana (5)                185 pts.
3.         St. Cloud State (2)         174 pts.
4.         University of Mary          128 pts.
4.         Minot State                   128 pts.
6.         Winona State                126 pts.
7.         Minnesota Duluth          113 pts.
8.         Sioux Falls                    108 pts.
9.         Minnesota Crookston      98  pts.
10.        Wayne State                97  pts.
11.        Concordia-St. Paul         66  pts.
11.        Northern State                66  pts.
13.        Upper Iowa                     41  pts.
14.        Southwest Minn. State    40  pts.
15.        Bemidji State                 17  pts.