Wilson Hunt didn't even win the Big East Conference baseball title last season. Yet, the Warriors ended up in the state championship series with East Rowan for the NCHSAA 3-A title.With the 2011 conference season set to get underway next week, it could be a wide open race to see who will end up on top.
Despite having only three starters back this season, Hunt, by a small margin over Nash Central, has been voted to win the league title in a vote of the conference's head coaches.
Both teams received three first place votes, but Hunt, which tallied 23 total points, got two nods for second place, while the Bulldogs (21 points) got two votes for third place to give the Warriors the edge in the balloting. Nash Central returns seven starters.
Rocky Mount, the defending champion that went 10-0 in league play last season, received four second-place votes and a third-place nod to garner 19 points and third place in the voting. The Gryphons were also hit hard by graduation and only return four starters.
Northern Nash, with seven starters back for this season, placed fourth with 13 points. The Knights got three third-place votes and two fourth-place picks. Southern Nash and Wilson Fike finished in a tie for fifth place with seven points (each received two fourth-place votes and three fifth-place selections.
2011 Big East Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll
(Teams received five points for first place, four points for second place, etc. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.)
1. Wilson Hunt - (3) 23 pts.
3. Rocky Mount - 19 pts.
4. Northern Nash - 13 pts.
5. Southern Nash - 7 pts.
5. Wilson Fike - 7 pts.
