ATLANTA, Ga. (January 31, 2023) – Coming off a dominating Southern Athletic Association regular season championship, tournament title, and run into the NCAA Division III Super Regionals last season, Birmingham-Southern was the top pick in the 2023 SAA Baseball Preseason Poll.
 
The D3baseball.com fourth-ranked Panthers garnered all eight first place votes for the second straight season. Rhodes picked up 52 points to come in second while Hendrix is third with 44 points. The ranking was conducted among the SAA’s eight head coaches.
 
2023 BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
1. Birmingham-Southern - 64 pts. (8)
2. Rhodes - 52 pts.
3. Hendrix - 44 pts.
4. Berry - 40 pts.
5. Millsaps - 35 pts.
6. Oglethorpe - 24 pts.
7. Centre - 20 pts.
8. Sewanee - 9 pts.
 
BSC went 41-10 overall and 18-3 in SAA play last season. After falling to Sewanee in first round of the SAA Tournament, the Panthers fought through the loser’s bracket and eventually swept Millsaps in the championship series for the tourney title. BSC went on to win the Lynchburg Regional with three-straight 10-2 wins before falling to Trinity in the Super Regional round. Noah Best and Ian Hancock were both named 2023 D3baseball.com Preseason All-America and will look to lead the Panthers on another title run. 

Rhodes landed second in the preseason poll and is coming off a third place finish in the SAA standings a year ago (26-18-1, 12-9 SAA). The Lynx return second team All-SAA performers Wood Kimbrough, Peter York, Dante Messina and John McNair along with a bevy of talented underclassmen.

Hendrix posted a 29-15 overall record and tied with Rhodes and Oglethorpe for third in the 2022 SAA standings at 12-9. First team All-SAA performers pitcher Jack Hodgins and utility Adam Bland both return to highlight the Warriors 2023 line-up.

Rhodes and Hendrix are both on the road February 7 to officially start the 2023 season. The Lynx travel to Jackson, Mississippi to face Belhaven while Hendrix will visit the University of the Ozarks. Saturday, March 4 lifts the lid on the conference schedule with teams battling for top seeds at the SAA Tournament. The best-of-three opening round is set for the weekend of April 28 hosted at the top-four seeds. The remaining four will travel to the highest seed and play a double-elimination championship tournament May 4-6.