The Wayne State College baseball team was picked sixth in the 2024 NSIC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll released this morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.  The Wildcats collected 104 points in voting conducted by league coaches after placing eighth in the NSIC last season with records of 25-26 overall and 18-16 in the NSIC.
            Augustana, the two-time defending NSIC regular season champion, was the unanimous choice as the team to beat in NSIC baseball this season receiving 169 points and 13 first-place votes.  Minnesota State followed in second at 156 points and the remaining first-place ballot (coaches can not vote for their own team).  St. Cloud State (142), Minnesota Crookston (129) and Southwest Minnesota State (107) round out the top five teams.
            Wayne State was sixth at 104 points, just ahead of Minot State (103) and Winona State (101) with University of Mary (74) and Sioux Falls (52) closing out the top 10 teams.  Concordia-St. Paul (49), Minnesota Duluth (44), Northern State (31) and Bemidji State (13) fill out the coaches' poll.
            Listed as Wildcats to Watch in the NSIC this season are senior outfielder Colin Lynam and junior starting pitcher Corbin Kirk.
            Lynam, a 6-0, 185-pound senior outfielder from Springfield (Platteview HS/Northeast CC), earned All-NSIC Second Team honors last season after posting a team-high .359 batting average with 11 homers and 55 RBI.  He led the Wildcats last season with 66 hits and 118 total bases and hit safely in 28 of his last 29 games.
            Kirk, a 6-1, 215-pound junior left hander from Casper, Wyoming, posted a 4-5 record last spring with a 5.43 ERA in 13 starts.  He tied for sixth in the NSIC with 87 strikeouts and was tied for fifth in the league with 13 starts working 59.2 innings with one complete game.   
            The 2024 NSIC baseball schedule begins in mid-February when teams open with neutral site four-game series.  Wayne State is slated to open the 2024 season on Wednesday, February 21 facing Minnesota Crookston in Fort Scott, Kansas.
 
2024 NSIC Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll
1.         Augustana (13)              169 pts.
2.         Minnesota State (1)       156 pts.
3.         St. Cloud State              142 pts.
4.         Minnesota Crookston    129 pts.
5.         Southwest Minn. State   107 pts.
6.         Wayne State                 104 pts.
7.         Minot State                   103 pts.
8.         Winona State                101 pts.
9.         University of Mary         74  pts.
10.        Sioux Falls                    52  pts.
11.        Concordia-St. Paul         49  pts.
12.        Minnesota Duluth          44  pts.
13.        Northern State                31  pts.
14.        Bemidji State                  13  pts.