ST. LOUIS - In a vote conducted by the head coaches from around the Missouri Valley Conference, the Indiana State baseball team was selected fourth in the preseason poll. The Sycamores finished last season at 29-28 overall and 8-13 within the league, claiming the sixth seed before making a run to the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals.

Individually, redshirt junior infielder Koby Kraemer, junior catcher Jeremy Lucas and junior outfielder Robby Ort were all selected to the Preseason All-Conference First Team.

Indiana State returns all nine position starters back on the field, including four players that hit above .300 last season. Lucas led the team with a .333 average for the season, hitting .405 in conference games alone. Ort topped the roster with seven triples, 10 home runs and 53 RBIs, while Kraemer paced the team with 75 hits. Sophomore Tyler Wampler also checked in with an average over .300, hitting .306 in his rookie season.

On the mound, sophomore southpaw Sean Manaea leads the weekend rotation, finishing last season at 5-5 with a 4.32 ERA and a team-leading 82 strikeouts. Seniors Reggie Hochstedler (4-1, 3.38 ERA) and Chris Machado (5-3, 4.66 ERA) return to anchor the bullpen.

The Sycamores' veteran squad includes 19 juniors and seniors overall. ISU's 2012 senior class holds 10, including: OF Kyle Burnam (.280, 41 runs scored), RHP Brandon Dorsett (four appearances, .286 batting average against), LHP Brandon Flora (21 appearances, 3.12 ERA), C Patrick Foster (eight starts, 3 RBIs), INF Jon Hedges (five home runs, 38 RBIs), OF Lucas Hileman (.260, 11 doubles), Hochstedler, Machado, INF Jeff Miera (.378 on-base percentage, 4-5 stolen base attempts) and INF Ryan Walterhouse (four home runs, 23 RBIs).

Missouri State was picked as the league favorite by the coaches, receiving five first-place votes and 60 points, edging 2011 defending champion Creighton with three first-place votes and 53 points. Wichita State (47) and Indiana State (37) rounded out the top half of the league. The bottom four selections were: Illinois State (34), Southern Illinois (31), Bradley (15) and Evansville (11).

ISU's three first-team selections to the preseason all-conference team are second in the league, behind Creighton's four picks.

Indiana State begins their 2012 campaign on Friday, Feb. 17, with a three-game weekend series in Hammond, La., against Southeastern Louisiana. ISU's first homestand runs from Tuesday, March 6 through Tuesday, March 13, with six total games against Indiana, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Martin and SIU Edwardsville.