IRVING, Texas – East Carolina has been selected as the unanimous preseason favorite in the 2024 American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
 
Pirate junior Trey Yesavage has been picked as The American’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Tulane junior outfielder Teo Banks was selected as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year.
 
The defending regular season champion Pirates earned all nine possible first-place votes and a total of 81 points to be named the preseason favorite. Charlotte, the 2023 Conference USA champion, was picked second with 67 points, while UTSA was third with 64 points. Florida Atlantic was fourth with 54 points, followed by South Florida (47 points), Memphis (35), Wichita State (34), Rice (29), Tulane (25) and UAB (14).
 
Three current American squads advanced to 2023 NCAA Regionals, including Charlotte (Clemson Regional), East Carolina (Charlottesville Regional) and 2023 American Baseball Championship winner Tulane (Baton Rouge Regional).
 
East Carolina captured its fourth consecutive regular season title in The American in 2023 with an 18-6 record. Tulane won its first tournament championship in 2023, defeating the Pirates, 8-6, in the championship game.
 
Yesavage went 7-1 in 2023 with a 2.61 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 76.0 innings. He was a 2023 first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection and earned second-team All-America honors from Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game.
 
Banks hit .301 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI in 61 games for the Green Wave in 2023. He was a second-team All-AAC honoree and his 18 home runs ranked second in The American.
 
The American’s baseball portfolio expands to 10 teams this season with newcomers UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice and UTSA joining continuing members East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Tulane and Wichita State. The top eight teams will advance to the 2024 American Baseball Championship, to be held May 21-26 at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida.
 
 
2024 American Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

Team	Points
1.  East Carolina (9)		81
2.  Charlotte		67
3.  UTSA		64
4.  Florida Atlantic		54
5.  South Florida (1)		47
6.  Memphis		35
7.  Wichita State		34
8.  Rice		29
9.  Tulane		25
10. UAB		14

 
First place votes in parenthesis
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Teo Banks, Tulane
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Trey Yesavage, Jr., East Carolina
 
Preseason All-Conference Team
P – Trey Yesavage, Jr., East Carolina*
P – Parker Smith, Jr., Rice
P – Jack Cebert, Jr., South Florida
P – Cameron Hansen, Sr., Charlotte
P – Zach Root, So., East Carolina
P – Caden Favors, Sr., Wichita State
RP – Danny Beal, Sr., East Carolina
C – Justin Wilcoxen, Sr., East Carolina
1B – Carter Cunningham, Sr., East Carolina
2B – Bobby Boser, Jr., South Florida
SS – Eric Snow, So., South Florida
3B – Matt King, Jr., UTSA
OF – Teo Banks, Jr., Tulane
OF – Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, Jr., East Carolina
OF – Drew Brutcher, Sr., South Florida
DH – Ben Rozenblum, R-Sr., South Florida
* denotes unanimous selection