After winning the Summit League title in 2019, the UNO baseball team is the favorite to win it again this spring.
The Mavs received three first-place votes and 15 points in the league’s preseason poll, which was announced Tuesday. Oral Roberts is next with 14 points and two first-place votes. North Dakota State was third, followed by South Dakota State and Western Illinois.
Third baseman Breyden Eckhout and starting pitcher Joey Machado are UNO’s players to watch. Eckhout was first-team all-conference in 2019, while Machado is expected to be the team’s ace.
Also, UNO’s season-opening series this weekend at Oregon was canceled Tuesday because of contact tracing in Oregon’s program. UNO’s opener now will be Feb. 26 at Missouri.
A brief look at UNO baseball since 2010
2020
Final game: Regular season win over Creighton
Record: 10-4
Notable facts: Season cut short due to coronavirus pandemic. Construction work began on UNO's new baseball and softball fields.
2019
Final game: Loss to No. 2 seed Baylor in NCAA Los Angeles Regional
Record: 31-24-1
Notable facts:Â First regular-season Summit League championship, first Summit League tournament championship, first appearance in NCAA tournament
2018
Final game: Regular-season loss to Western Illinois
Record: 15-35
2017
Final game: Regular-season loss to South Dakota State
Record: 12-40
Notable facts: Coach Evan Porter's first season, move to J. J. Isaacson Field at Seymour Smith Park
2016
Final game: Loss to South Dakota State in Summit League tournament
Record: 28-28
MLB draft:Â Cole Gruber (27th round, 802nd overall, Oakland Athletics) and Robert Calvano (38th round, 1,156 overall, St. Louis Cardinals)
Notable facts:Â First appearance in the Summit League tournament, coach Bob Herold's final seasonÂ
2015
Final game: Regular-season win over Incarnate Word
Record:Â 21-31
2014
Final game: Regular-season win over Western Illinois
Record: 31-20
2013
Final game:Â Regular-season win over South Dakota State
Record: 27-22
2011
Final game: Loss to DII No. 5 Central Missouri in MIAA tournament championship
Record: 34-20
MLB draft:Â Joe Holtmeyer selected in MLB draft (22nd round, 682nd overall, Boston Red Sox)
Notable facts:Â Final season in Division II, runner-up in MIAA tournament
2010
Final game: Loss to St. Mary's in NCAA DII South Central Regional
Record:Â 32-20
