MVCSports.com – Five Indiana State baseball players were named to the Missouri Valley Conference's preseason All-Conference team, while the Sycamores were voted first in the preseason poll as announced by the league office on Tuesday morning. The team and poll are determined by a vote from each head coach.
 
Grant Magill (C), Josue Urdaneta (2B), Randal Diaz (SS), Mike Sears (3B), and Jared Spencer (RP), were all named to the preseason All-Conference team as a league-high five Sycamores were named to the squad. Missouri State was next with four selections, while Murray State (2), Evansville (1), Southern Illinois (1), and Valparaiso (1) all had representation on the league's preseason team.
 
The Sycamores received 95 total points and eight of the 10 first-place votes to claim top honors in the poll. ISU is the defending 2023 regular season and tournament championships, as well as hosting and winning the Terre Haute Regional and advancing to the Fort Worth Super Regional.
 
Missouri State (89) and Evansville (81) each received one first-place vote, while Murray State (67), and Southern Illinois (63) both finished inside the top-five in the league's polling.
 
Magill earns preseason honors for the second consecutive season as the reigning ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove winner returned to the Sycamores for his senior season. The strong-armed catcher single-handedly shut down opposing run games throwing out 19 would-be base stealers, while adding five pickoffs.
 
He added a .262 batting average on the year with 13 doubles and two home runs with his offensive game rising to the occasion in the postseason. Seven of his 38 RBI came in the Terre Haute Regional as the Sycamores recorded wins over Wright State and Iowa (twice) to advance to the first Super Regional in program history.
 
Urdaneta was a Gold Glove finalist on his way to earning All-MVC Defensive honors. The Maracaibo, Venezuela native showcased his range throughout the year making just one error over the final 42 games on the field and added 173 total assists.
 
He added a .267 batting average at the plate finishing second on the team with 67 hits, while adding 10 doubles, a triple, and a home run. Urdaneta added 44 runs scored and 26 RBIs and led the team with 11 stolen bases.
 
Diaz returns to the field after a standout season that featured the Toa Alta, Puerto Rico native earning the MVC Championships Most Outstanding Player award for his performance at the conference tournament. The Sycamores' leadoff batter led the way with a .455 batting average finishing with a team-high10 hits and six runs, while adding a .520 on-base percentage over the five-game postseason run.
 
Diaz was one of three Indiana State players to line up in all 62 games in the 2023 season, earning 61 starts. He finished third on the team with a .297 batting average with a team-high 74 hits over 249 at-bats, leading the Sycamores with 15 doubles and three triples, while finishing third with 10 home runs. He scored 47 runs while driving in 36 RBIs.
 
Sears was ISU's third Gold Glove award finalist this past spring as the power-hitting third baseman showcased his glove skills on the hot corner in 2023. The Cincinnati, Ohio native earned All-MVC Defensive team honors after posting a .969 fielding percentage with 96 assists over the year in a rebound year from a season-ending injury.
 
Sears paced the Sycamores with a team-high 19 home runs, scoring 46 times while driving in 62 RBI. Sears posted a career-high 23 game on-base streak midway through the season and added a trio of two-homer games on the season, the final coming in a midweek win over Ball State. Sears also drew a team-high 32 walks and was hit by 15 pitches in posting a .389 on-base percentage.
 
Spencer adds to his preseason award list as the junior left-hander was named a Perfect Game Preseason Second Team All-American by the organization earlier this spring. The Centreville, Mich. native made a team-high 25 appearances on the mound while serving as ISU's primary closer. He finished the year with a 3-2 record and a 3.86 ERA over 37.1 innings.
 
Spencer made his 2023 debut against Quinnipiac early in the season, but hit his strike midway through the season with back-to-back wins over SEMO and Illinois in mid-March. He added a season-high seven strikeouts in a relief outing against Michigan State, while posting a three-inning save against Indiana and a two-inning save against Vanderbilt. He later added back-to-back saves in the first two games of the Terre Haute Regional to highlight his 2023 season.
 
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Indiana State season with ticket details below.
 
2024 Baseball Season Ticket Information
Reserved chairback season tickets can be purchased for $99. General admission season tickets will go on sale as well with adult ($72), seniors ($54), and youth ($40) tickets also being available for purchase. There will be a $5 surcharge added to those wanting tickets printed.
 
ISU Baseball single game tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks.
 
Those seeking more information on season tickets can contact Assistant Manager of Athletic Ticketing Grant Manning by phone at 812-237-8972 or via email at Grant.Manning@indstate.edu, or by filling out the form linked here. Fans have the opportunity to also buy season tickets online by clicking HERE.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.