RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist was picked to finish eighth in the Great American Conference men's soccer preseason poll announced Thursday afternoon.
Before the 2019 season, the GAC and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) merged their teams under the GAC's banner.
The Bison finished third in the GAC last season with a 2-4 mark in a four-team conference. Oklahoma Baptist returns two of their top three goalscorers in
Alejandro Castillo and
Dominic Gibson from 2018, while also welcoming back former GAC Defender of the Year
David Estrada and
Luis Romero, 2017's leading scorer, as graduate students.
Fort Hays State received 40 points and five first-place votes and is the favorite to take the GAC crown. Northeastern State narrowly finished in second place with 39 points and the remaining three first-place votes. Rogers State rounds out the top three with 32 points.
Newman took home 22 points and is projected to finish in fourth, while Ouachita Baptist is picked to finish fifth with 21 points. Reigning GAC champion Harding finished sixth with 20 points, followed by Southern Nazarene with 14 in seventh.
Oklahoma Baptist begins the 2019 season on the road in Bolivar, Missouri, when they face Southwest Baptist at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5.
