Newcomer Xavier University of Louisiana was picked seventh out of 12 teams Thursday in the Red River Athletic Conference 2022 baseball preseason coaches poll.
The Gold Rush received 60 points and was part of a middle-of-the-pack logjam. Houston-Victoria was sixth with 63 points, Southwest (N.M.) was eighth with 59 points, and Jarvis Christian was ninth with 57.
LSU-Shreveport led the poll with 116 points and six first-place votes, followed by Our Lady of the Lake with 114 points and four first-place votes. LSUS, an NAIA World Series qualifier last season, was 10th in the NAIA preseason coaches poll announced Nov. 3.
This is XULA’s first season in the RRAC. Gold Rush baseball this past season — its first since 1960 — competed in the Association of Independent Institutions. XULA finished 27-11, placed second in the Black College World Series and third in the A.I.I. Championship tournament. XULA ranked 54th out of 186 NAIA teams in the Bo Chip Power Index.
XULA will open its season Feb. 5-6 with a three-game home series against Tougaloo at Wesley Barrow Stadium (6500 Press Drive, New Orleans LA 70126). That facility is about five miles as the crow flies from XULA.
| Red River Athletic Conference Baseball 2022 Coaches Poll | ||
| (first-place votes in parentheses) | ||
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | LSU-Shreveport (6) | 116 |
| 2. | Our Lady of the Lake (4) | 114 |
| 3. | Texas A&M-Texarkana | 88 |
| 4. | LSU-Alexandria | 83 |
| 5. | Louisiana Christian | 75 |
| 6. | Houston-Victoria | 63 |
| 7. | XULA | 60 |
| 8. | Southwest (N.M.) | 59 |
| 9. | Jarvis Christian | 57 |
| 10. | Huston-Tillotson | 24 |
| 11. | Wiley | 23 |
| 12. | Texas College | 16 |