Spartanburg, S.C. The Southern Conference baseball coaches and the voting members of the Southern Conference Sports Media Association each selected The Citadel to finish fourth in their respective preseason polls for the upcoming 2009 season.

Elon, the 2008 Southern Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champion, was picked to win the league outright. The Phoenix received eight of 11 first place votes from the league's head coaches while 15 of 18 media members placed Elon at top of their predicted order of finish.

The only difference between the two polls came in the second slot where the coaches placed Georgia Southern and the media selected the College of Charleston.  The Eagles received the remaining three first-place votres in the coaches' poll and one first-place tally in the media balloting. College of Charleston received two first-place votes in the media poll.

The Citadel is coming off a 28-28 season where the Bulldogs finished eighth in the Southern Conference with a league record of 12-15. However, The Citadel returns seven of nine starters and their entire starting pitching rotation. Last season, the Bulldogs led the Southern Conference in pitching and led the nation in pickoffs.

In fifth is Appalachian State, followed by Western Carolina in sixth, UNC Greensboro in seventh and Furman in eighth.

Samford is predicted to finish ninth as it enters its first Southern Conference season while Wofford and Davidson complete the polls.

Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams in the voting process.

The Citadel opens the 2009 season on Friday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. when the Bulldogs host Indiana State at Riley Park. The Citadel's annual Meet the Bulldogs day is slated for Sunday, Feb. 15 at noon with hot dogs and soft drinks free for fans, courtesy of the Charleston RiverDogs. Schedule cards, team posters and media guides will be available and the team will sign autographs prior to the Blue-White scrimmage at 1 p.m.

For complete coverage of Bulldog Baseball, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.