CHARLOTTE, N.C. - VMI baseball was voted seventh in the Big South's preseason poll, according to information released by the conference Tuesday.

The Keydets earned 64 points, finishing just two points behind fifth-place Gardner-Webb, last year's tournament runners-up. Charleston Southern (65) split the two teams, with Coastal Carolina leading the preseason poll with 120 points and 10 first-place votes. Liberty garnered one first-place vote and 98 points, with Radford holding 97 markers and finishing third.

Winthrop (76) was fourth, while High Point (59), Campbell (31), Presbyterian College (30) and UNC Asheville (20) rounded out the bottom of the voting.

Brad Zebedis of Presbyterian was voted the Preseason Player of the Year, while Josh Conway of Coastal Carolina garnered Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors.

VMI baseball will open its 2012 season Friday, Feb. 17, taking on the two-time defending College World Series champion South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C. Game time is set for 3 p.m.