Bobcats tabbed sixth in Preseason Poll

Staff Reports

The Texas State soccer team was picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll that was released on Monday by the conference office.

The Bobcats are coming off a 4-12-1 season with a 4-4-0 mark in the conference play. In the poll, TXST received 58 points to edge out Little Rock by five points. It is the lowest that the Bobcats have been selected in a preseason poll since 2017 when the team was picked seventh but ended up finishing in second.

South Alabama was selected as the league’s favorites with 117 points and eight first-place votes. Arkansas State was right behind the Jaguars after picking up 110 points with two first-place selections.

Rounding out the top half of the poll was Georgia State (93), Coastal Carolina (81) and Louisiana (80). The Ragin’ Cajuns picked up the final first-place vote.

Coming in eighth was Appalachian State with 46 points. The final three spots were separated by just three points that saw Georgia Southern (31) rank ninth and was rounded out by ULM (29) and Troy (28).

Texas State gets its first taste of opposition on Thursday when the Bobcats host I-35 rival UTSA on Thursday in an exhibition match at 7:30 p.m on ESPN+. The regular season begins on Aug. 20 with a road match at Incarnate Word.

Admission to all home soccer matches at the Bobcat Soccer Complex are free of charge.

2021 Sun Belt Preseason Poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

1. South Alabama (8) – 117 pts
2. Arkansas State (2) – 110 pts
3. Georgia State – 93 pts
4. Coastal Carolina – 81 pts
5. Louisiana (1) – 80 pts
6. Texas State – 58 pts
7. Little Rock – 53 pts
8. Appalachian State – 46 pts
9. Georgia Southern – 31 pts
10. ULM – 29 pts
11. Troy – 28 pts

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