Abilene Christian is the top choice to win the 2010 Lone Star Conference Baseball title as the preseason polls were announced by league officials on Thursday.

The 2010 season starts in early February and the LSC has 12 teams set to compete.  For the third year, LSC teams will play an 11-week, single round-robin schedule with a four-game series against every other team.  Each series consists of a 7-inning game followed by a 9-inning game on both days.

The regular season champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship shall be the overall LSC Champion.  The championship will be played May 1-4 in Abilene, Texas.

ACU received 16 of the 31 first-place votes on the ballots cast by LSC coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives for 352 total points.  The Wildcats finished 44-19 overall and 30-14 in conference and won the LSC Championship for the fifth time to reach the South Central Regional in 2009.

ASU's Keith Towne

Angelo State's Keith Towne was named the LSC Preseason Player of the Year acclaim.

Towne, a senior first baseman/designated hitter from Katy, Texas, was a consensus All-American second-team choice in 2009 after leading the LSC and finishing second in Division II with 26 home runs.  He was named the ABCA South Central Region Player of the Year and All-LSC first team after hitting .351 with 15 doubles along with 86 runs batted in.

ACU's Brad Rutherford was tabbed LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Rutherford, a junior from Missoula, Mont., was impressive in the closer's role with a league-best 11 saves and 2.63 ERA in 65 innings pitched.  He recorded a 10-3 record out of the bullpen to earn LSC first team, Baseball Writers Association All-American and Rawlings All-Region first team acclaim.

ASU claimed nine first-place votes and totaled 341 points to finish a close second in the voting on the heels of a 45-20 record last season.  Cameron, the defending regular season champions, collected four first-place nods and 308 points in third place.

ACU's Brad Rutherford

Tarleton State finished fourth with 245 points, while Southeastern Oklahoma was fifth with 233 and Central Oklahoma sixth with 219.

Eastern New Mexico (176), Southwestern Oklahoma (146), Texas A&M-Kingsville (135 with one first-place vote), West Texas A&M (121 and a first-place nod), Northeastern State (105) and East Central (37) rounded out the poll.

Here's a closer look at the voting breakdown for the conference:

Rank       LSC BASEBALL                   1          TOTAL

1             Abilene Christian                   16         352

2             Angelo State                        9          341

3             Cameron                              4          308

4             Tarleton State                                   245

5             Southeastern Oklahoma                    233

6             Central Oklahoma                              219

7             Eastern New Mexico                         176

8             Southwestern Oklahoma                    146

9             Texas A&M-Kingsville           1          135

10            West Texas A&M                  1          121

11            Northeastern State                            105

12            East Central                                      37