INDIANAPOLIS – Truman State baseball was picked 11th in the preseason GLVC coaches' poll, ahead of Rockhurst, Southwest Baptist, and newcomer Upper Iowa.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 19-31 2023 campaign, with nine of those wins coming in conference play. Truman was 10-15 at home, and 9-16 on the road and look to have an improved 2024 season.

Dan Davis' crew returns plenty of offensive production, with Grant Beck, Luke Turner, Tal Dean, Dylan Thompson, and Will Fromm back in the lineup.

Grant Beck was second on the team in batting average last season, hitting .344 in 128 at-bats.

Tal Dean was tied for third in batting average (.310), and second in OPS (.932) in the 2023. Dean hit five home runs along with eight doubles, four triples, 26 RBI, and 38 walks.

Luke Turner tied Dean in batting average while leading the team with 47 RBI last season.

On the mound, Isaac Epp and Zachary Schneider were Truman's best starters in 2023, and both return this season.

Epp posted a 4.19 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched, and recorded a 1.42 WHIP. 

Schneider was second in ERA at 5.74, while having a slightly lower WHIP at 1.41. Both Epp and Schneider had a team-high 43 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs open the season at Northwest Oklahoma State University on February 9-11 in Alva, Oklahoma. Following Northwest Oklahoma, Truman State stays on the road until March 1st where they take on Northern State University in a four-game homestand.

GLVC play begins March 8th against McKendree at home. Truman also hosts conference foes UMSL, Missouri S&T, and William Jewell to round out the season.

The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
 

Place	School	Points (1st-Place Votes)
1.	Quincy	162 (9)
2.	Maryville	151 (3)
3.	Indianapolis	145 (2)
4.	Drury	130
5.	Illinois Springfield	118
6.	Lewis	114
7.	William Jewell	97
8.	Missouri-St. Louis	84
9.	Missouri S&T	83
10.	McKendree	56
11.	Truman State	47
12.	Rockhurst	39
13.	Southwest Baptist	26
14.	Upper Iowa	22