MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama baseball seniors Cole Gleason and Kevin Hill were named preseason all-Sun Belt Conference the league office announced Wednesday.

Hill was one of three starting pitchers in the SBC voted to the team, while Gleason was one of three outfielders named to the squad which was voted on by the league's head coaches.

Gleason earned second-team all-SBC honors last season after batting .333 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 33 RBI and 27 runs scored while posting a .422 on-base percentage in 53 games. He hit .381 with seven doubles, three home runs, 29 RBI and 15 runs scored while posting a .976 OPS, including a .454 on-base percentage, in 28 SBC contests. Gleason closed the 2014 season with a five-game hitting streak, and tallied multiple hits in all of those games.

Hill made 13 appearances with 12 starts last season, and led the SBC in strikeouts per game (10.17) which ranked 18th nationally. He finished third in the league in strikeouts (93), and won four games in 82 1/3 innings pitched. Hill tossed two complete games his junior season, including a win at Troy in the regular-season finale in which the right-hander struck out a career-high 14 batters to clinch a spot in the SBC Tournament.

"Both Cole and Kevin played well last season," head coach Mark Calvi said. "It's always an honor to be recognized for your performance on the field, especially in a conference as good as the Sun Belt. I'm looking forward to watching them perform this year against a really good schedule."  

South Alabama was picked to finish seventh in the 11-team league which will feature newcomers Appalachian State and Georgia Southern in 2015. Louisiana-Lafayette was tabbed to repeat as SBC champion after receiving eight of 11 first-place votes. ULL shortstop Blake Trahan was selected as the Presesason Player of the Year while Texas State's Lucas Humpal was voted as the league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

USA will open the 2015 season Fri., Feb. 13, when it hosts New Orleans in the first game of a three-game set at Stanky Field.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).