Midwestern State’s David Freeland and Incarnate Word’s James Nero were selected as the Lone Star Conference Preseason Players of the Year for 2012 league officials announced Tuesday.
      Freeland was recognized as LSC Offensive Preseason Player of the Year, while Nero was tabbed the league’s Defensive Preseason Player of the Year.  The honors were voted upon by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors and various media representatives.
      Freeland claimed five of the 10 votes, while Nero was selected on four of the ballots cast.
      Freeland, a 5-7 senior midfielder from Odessa, Texas, led the league in game-winning goals (4), and ranked in the top-five for shots (40), shots per game (2.67), points (18), points per game (1.20), goals (7), goals per game (0.47), assists (4) and assists per game (0.27).  He was named all-LSC first team and LSC Offensive Player of the Week for two straight weeks as MSU closed the regular season with seven consecutive wins to notch its sixth straight NCAA Division II postseason appearance before bowing out to UIW in the opening round.
      Nero, a 6-0 junior defender from Charlotte, N.C., was a key piece of the Cardinals team that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division II Championship and finished 14-3-3 on the year.  He helped the defense post 10 shutouts, while scoring twice to earn All-LSC first team acclaim.
      MSU, UIW, West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico will compete in the LSC this season.  The slate of games begins in late August.  Each of the four LSC teams will play the other twice during the regular season, with those contests determining the conference champion.