THOMASVILLE, N.C. -- The Conference Carolinas head baseball coaches voted Mount Olive College as their preseason poll favorite for the 2008 season. Mount Olive is ranked No. 6 in this year's Collegiate Baseball Division II Preseason Poll and returns the 2007 Daktronics Division II Baseball National Player of the Year in first baseman Erik Lovett. Anderson University, which finished second is the conference tournament last spring, is picked sixth in the preseason poll. Mount Olive was the top seed and tournament host for last year's NCAA II South Atlantic Regional and came within one victory of advancing to the NCAA II World Series. Mount Olive (49-13) has won the conference tournament the last two years and posted a 20-3 mark in conference play to win last year's regular season title. Mount Olive set a record with 12 All-Conference players last season. Along with Lovett, Mount Olive returns All-Conference first-team member David Cooper at shortstop, second-team members Casey Hodges at starting pitcher, closer Patrick Ball, and regional All-Tournament team member Anthony Williams at second base. The Belmont Abbey College Crusaders place second in the coaches' preseason poll. The Abbey looks to carry momentum into the '08 season coming off a year in which it finished second in the conference regular season and eighth in the final regional poll with 31-23 overall and 16-7 league record. Belmont Abbey also received votes in the national poll for 14 consecutive weeks last year. The Crusaders have five returning starters, highlighted by sophomore All-American second baseman Alex Castellanos and senior All-American designated hitter Seth Waller. The Crusaders also have 24 wins returning on the mound showcasing senior starting pitcher Andy Helms. Castellanos, Waller, and Helms were all first team All-Conference members as well. Erskine College in in the third spot in this year's poll after going 36-24 overall and 13-11 in league play last year. Under head coach Kevin Nichols, the Fleet has averaged a 39-18 record the past three seasons on their way to more than 250 wins in the past eight years. The '08 Fleet return 40 players from last season that include their entire starting pitching staff. First-team All-Conference sophomore outfielder Bryan Fogle, second team sophomore outfielder Chas Anthony, and second team sophomore starting pitcher William Buzhardt will be called upon to help deliver throughout the season. Rounding out the baseball preseason poll 4-9 are : Pfeiffer, Barton, Anderson & Limestone, Coker, and St. Andrews respectively. Conference Carolinas Pre-Season Baseball Coaches Poll (First place votes in parenthesis) 1. Mount Olive College (7) 63 2. Belmont Abbey College (1) 52 3. Erskine College (1) 49 4. Pfeiffer University 42 5. Barton College 33 T-6. Anderson University 28 T-6. Limestone College 28 8. Coker College 21 9. St. Andrews Presbyterian College 8