Coaches predict USC to finish 2nd

The Southeastern Conference's baseball coaches on Monday picked South Carolina to finish second in the East division behind Florida. The coaches picked Arkansas to win the West and Florida to win the league championship.

USC has won back-to-back national championships and swept Florida 2-0 in last year's championship series.

The Gamecocks, who begin their season at home Friday at 3 p.m. against Virginia Military Institute, are also behind Florida in the Baseball America preseason poll. Florida is No. 1, while Stanford is No. 2 and USC is No. 3. Collegiate Baseball has Florida No. 1 and USC No. 2. Florida and USC are also Nos. 1 and 2 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers poll.

The coaches who voted in the SEC poll were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

Coaches' poll

East: 1. Florida, 66 points; 2. South Carolina 56; 3. Georgia 42; 4. Vanderbilt 40; 5. Kentucky 25; 6. Tennessee 18.

West: 1. Arkansas 64; 2. LSU 58; 3. Alabama 38; 4. Mississippi 34; 65. Mississippi State 33; 6. Auburn 20.

--South Carolina's season opener against VMI is sold out.

College sailing

The College of Charleston sailing team opened the spring season with a three-point victory at the SAISA Open over the weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Charleston scored 15 points and raced past second-place Miami (Fla.) for top honors followed by host Eckerd College and South Florida in the 20-team in-conference regatta field. Ten races were sailed in each division.