Louisville, which returns a strong cast from last year’s team that made a deep run in the College World Series, has been selected as the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball preseason favorite by the league’s 14 head coaches. The coaches voted Miami as the favorite to win the Coastal Division.
Louisville is also favored to repeat as Atlantic Division champion with 97 total points, followed by Florida State (79) and NC State (68). Clemson and Wake Forest tied for fourth place in the voting with 52 points each, followed by Boston College (27) and Notre Dame (17). The Cardinals were selected as division favorites by 13 coaches, with Clemson receiving one first-place vote.
Twelve coaches picked Miami to win the Coastal Division, with defending ACC champion North Carolina and reigning Coastal champ Georgia Tech each receiving one first-place vote. Miami tallied 93 total points. Balloting for the next three spots was tight as North Carolina (68) placed second, followed by Georgia Tech (66) and Duke (65). Virginia (55 points), Virginia Tech (27) and Pitt (18) rounded out the Coastal preseason voting.
The Tigers begin the fifth year of the Monte Lee era on February 14 against Liberty.
