Tweet #theGAC ­ RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Tuesday, the Great American Conference announced the results of its 2022 GAC baseball preseason coaches’ poll. Southern Arkansas received seven first-place votes to enter the season as the favorite.
 
A total of four schools received first-place votes. Oklahoma Baptist finished second in the voting; Arkansas Tech gained three first-place votes and placed third. Following Arkansas-Monticello, Henderson State, the 2021 GAC Champions, picked up the remaining first-place vote.
 
SAU shared the 2021 GAC regular-season title with Tech. The Muleriders, Wonder Boys and Reddies all reached the NCAA Tournament as the league produced three NCAA participants for the second time in league history. The Muleriders advanced to the final of Central Regional for the second time in the last three tournaments.
 
The Muleriders return four All-GAC performers from 2021, headlined by First-Team selections Jacob Womack and Brett McGee. Womack ranked in the top five in wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched; McGee hit .313 with 12 home runs. His 36 walks led the conference.
 
Oklahoma Baptist edged Arkansas Tech by one point to finish second in the balloting. The Bison must replace four of their first five 2021 All-GAC honorees. Walker Keller represents the lone All-GAC Bison performer back for 2022. He hit .354 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI and nine stolen bases.
 
Last season, the Wonder Boys qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. They bring back four 2021 All-GAC selections, including all three First-Teamers – starting pitcher Patrick Miner, outfielder Josh Detweiler and designated hitter Evan Hafley. Miner led all starting pitchers with a 3.46 ERA. He also led the conference with nine wins, 100 strikeouts and 88.1 innings pitched. Detweiler hit .392 with a .699 slugging percentage; Hafley hit .360 with a .458 on-base percentage. Trace Maddux ranked second in the league with a .412 average and a .497 on-base percentage.
 
UAM brings back its top two starter pitchers – River Hunt and Mason Philley. Hunt posted a 9-0 record with a 3.52 ERA. His .201 batting average against led GAC starting pitchers. Philley’s 90 strikeouts ranked as the second-best total in the conference. Third baseman Jordan Johnson enters the season already owning the league’s all-time record for RBI. He needs three home runs, 55 hits, 48 runs and 89 total bases to break the records currently held by former Mulerider All-American Trevor Rucker.
 
In May, the Reddies won their first conference championship since 1982, their first in their Division II era. They added a win at the Central Regional. They bring back First-Team starting pitcher Spencer Taack, the 2021 GAC Championship MVP. He posted a 7-2 record with 71 strikeouts in 73.2 innings of work.

Northwestern Oklahoma State finished sixth, followed by Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Rangers’ Ryan Bowen earned GAC Coach of the Year after he guided his team to the GAC Championships for the first time in program history as well as the program’s most wins in a season, 26, in their Division II era. Blake Hoffman returns after hitting a league-leading .443 with the league’s top slugging percentage, .811. Grant French added 10 home runs in just 77 at bats. Scott Creedon led the pitching staff with a 6-3 record and a 4.67 ERA.
 
SWOSU must replace the GAC Player of the Year in Alex Bedard. They bring back Zach Baxley and Miguel Soto on the offensive side. Baxley hit .362 with nine stolen bases while Soto hit .304. Nate Postlethwait led the staff with a 6-2 record.
 
Harding checked in at eighth, followed by Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Bisons lost GAC Pitcher of the Year Ryder Yakel and Newcomer of the Year Michael Chrisman. Cody Smith led the GAC with six triples. The Savage Storm’s Seth Morrow claimed the Freshman of the Year accolade after he hit .378 with a .474 on-base percentage and a .748 slugging percentage. He tied for the league lead with 51 RBI
 
Ouachita, Southern Nazarene and East Central rounded out the voting.
 
The regular season begins Tuesday, Friday 1 as Arkansas-Monticello, East Central and Southwestern Oklahoma State take the field first. Henderson State hosts the Dugan Collegiate Baseball Invitational at Majestic Park beginning on Thursday, February 3. Harding, Ouachita and Southern Arkansas will participate in the nine-team event. The league will conduct the 2022 GAC Championships at Majestic Park from Saturday, May 7 through the 10th featuring the top eight teams.