HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana placed fourth in a tight 2020 Southland Conference Preseason Baseball Poll, the conference office announced Thursday.
 
Reigning regular-season champion Sam Houston State sits atop the poll with 17 first-place votes and 276 total points.
 
Just four points separate second through fourth as Central Arkansas picked up five first-place votes and 247 total points, followed by reigning tournament champion McNeese with a single first-place nod and 244 points. Southeastern falls just one point behind the Cowboys despite earning more (3) first-place votes. Both the Bears and the Lions are coming off 19-11 Southland records, while McNeese finished 16-14 in league play in 2019.
 
Northwestern State is picked to finish fifth with 193 points while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rounds out the top six with 146 points. UIW (144), Nicholls (108), New Orleans (101), Abilene Christian (98), Stephen F. Austin (92), Lamar (87) and Houston Baptist (49) round out the 13-team poll.
 
Southland preseason polls are voted on by each program's head coach and sports information director. Individuals rank the conference's other 12 teams in predicted order of regular season finish, with first-place votes worth 12 points, second-place votes worth 11 points and so on to one point for 12th place.
 
The 2020 season begins Friday, Feb. 14, as Southeastern travels to No. 24-ranked UL Lafayette for a 6 p.m. nonconference contest.

SEASON TICKETS
Season ticket packages are still available for the 30-game home slate. Fans save more than 50 percent off the single-game price over the course of the season with a General Admission plan ($130 per seat). The popular family plan includes two adult and two youth (ages 3-12) general admission tickets for $250, representing a savings of more than 70 percent off individual game purchases.

The list of 2020 opponents rolling into Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field includes No. 6-ranked Mississippi State, No. 23-ranked South Alabama, No. 31-ranked Southern Miss and UL Lafayette.
 
For more information, or to purchase season tickets, fans can contact the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Season ticket packages are also available for purchase online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors safety precautions taken upon entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
 
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
  
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter, @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.

2020 SOUTHLAND PRESEASON POLL

Pl.		School (First-place votes)		Total
1.		Sam Houston State (17)		276
2.		Central Arkansas (5)		247
3.		McNeese (1)		244
4.		Southeastern Louisiana (3)		243
5.		Northwestern State		193
6.		Texas A&M-Corpus Christi		146
7.		UIW		144
8.		Nicholls		108
9.		New Orleans		101
10.		Abilene Christian		98
11.		Stephen F. Austin		92
12.		Lamar		87
13.		Houston Baptist		49