KEARNEY, Neb. — The University of Nebraska at Kearney baseball team is tied for fifth place in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason regional poll.
Junior catcher Chandler Klute is a preseason All-Central Region pick.
UNK is tied with RMAC rival Metro State for fifth in the Central Region with 37 points. St. Cloud State (72 points; four first-place votes) is first with Minnesota State second (69), defending region champ Winona State third (68) and RMAC-member Colorado Mesa fourth (55).
Both MSU and CMU received two first-place votes. Rounding out the top 10 is Augustana, Wayne State, Concordia-St. Paul and RMAC member Colorado State-Pueblo.
In NCBWA's preseason Top 25 poll, St. Cloud is eighth, Minnesota State is 14th and Winona 18th. Francis Marion (S.C.) is No. 1, followed by Barry (Fla.), MIAA-member Central Missouri, Grand Valley State (Mich.) and Millersville, Pa.
Klute is one of just eight RMAC players named preseason all-region. He batted .312 in 2011 with 34 RBIs, 13 doubles and 35 runs scored. Splitting time between catcher and designated hitter as a sophomore, Klute is the Lopers only returning position player who had more than 50 at-bats in 2011.
UNK, coming off a 38-19 year, begins its season next weekend with a non-RMAC series at Metro State.
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