Vanderbilt baseball picked third, Tennessee last in SEC preseason poll

Vanderbilt baseball was picked third in the SEC East, and Tennessee was tabbed last by the league’s coaches in the preseason poll Thursday. 

Florida was picked to win the SEC East and overall conference title.  Kentucky was picked second, Vanderbilt third, South Carolina fourth, Georgia fifth, Missouri sixth and Tennessee seventh. 

Vanderbilt junior first baseman Julian Infante was voted to the preseason first team.  Tennessee did not have a player voted to the 24-player All-SEC preseason list. 

More: How Vanderbilt's Julian Infante is inspired by deep Cuban roots

Vanderbilt opens its season with a three-game home series against Duke, beginning Feb. 16.  Tennessee’s opening series will be against Maryland, also starting on Feb. 16. 

SEC COACHES PRESEASON POLL

EASTERN DIVISION

1.  Florida (13) - 91

2.  Kentucky (1) - 74

3.  Vanderbilt - 72

4.  South Carolina - 50

5.  Georgia - 41

6.  Missouri - 32

7.  Tennessee - 25

WESTERN DIVISION

1.  Arkansas (12) - 90

2.  Texas A&M (1) - 72

3.  Ole Miss (1) - 62

4.  LSU - 59

5.  Mississippi State - 44

6.  Auburn - 38

7.  Alabama - 20

SEC Champion: Florida (12), Arkansas (1), Texas A&M (1)

ALL-SEC BASEBALL PRESEASON TEAM

FIRST TEAM

C: Grant Koch, Arkansas

1B: Julian Infante, Vanderbilt

2B: Cobie Vance, Alabama

SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M

3B: Jonathan India, Florida

OF: Antoine Duplantis, LSU

OF: Tristan Pompey, Kentucky

OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State

DH/UTL: Michael Curry, Georgia

SP: Brady Singer, Florida

SP: Casey Mize, Auburn

RP: Michael Byrne, Florida

SECOND TEAM

C: JJ Schwarz, Florida

1B: Kameron Misner, Missouri

2B: Luke Becker, Kentucky

SS: Jax Biggers, Arkansas

3B: George Janca, Texas A&M

OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas

OF: Zach Watson, LSU

OF: Carlos Cortes, South Carolina

DH/UTL: JJ Schwarz, Florida

SP: Sean Hjelle, Kentucky

SP: Blaine Knight, Arkansas

RP: Dallas Woolfolk, Ole Miss

Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.