Gators picked to finish fifth in SEC

Firing its coach hasn't improved the Gators' image among the league coaches.

Florida is picked to finish fifth in the SEC in the preseason poll released by conference office Thursday.

Vanderbilt, the defending regular-season champion, is picked the win the conference again this season.

Under first-year head coach Kevin O'Sullivan, Florida returns four position starters and nine pitchers from last season's squad which was third in the East with a 15-15 league mark. UF tied for sixth overall and went 1-2 at the SEC Tournament to finish 29-30 overall.

Here is the breakdown of the preseason poll:

SEC East

1. Vanderbilt. 2. South Carolina. 3. Kentucky. 4. Georgia. 5. Florida. 6. Tennessee

SEC West

1. Mississippi. 2. Mississippi State. 3. Arkansas. 4. Auburn. 5. LSU. 6. Alabama.