AUSTIN, Texas -- The Concordia Texas baseball team is right where the coaching staff wants them entering the 2016 campaign. Additionally, the Tornados have renewed their partnership with KMAC Sports.

KMAC will carry a majority of Concordia's schedule online at kmacsports.com. Chuck Licata will once again provide the play-by-play. 

The Tornados were picked 23rd by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and 37th in the D3baseball.com preseason poll. Concordia was predicted to finish second in the American Southwest Conference by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media.

This year's slate features several D3baseball.com preseason top-25 teams including No. 7 Trinity, No. 19 Baldwin Wallace and No. 22 UT Tyler. Other opponents receiving votes include Concordia Chicago and Southwestern.

Baldwin Wallace (19th), UT Tyler (20th), Concordia Chicago (26th), Trinity (27th) and Pomona-Pitzer (40th) also earned rankings in the CBN poll. 

CTX returns D3baseball.com All-American first baseman Connor Bertsch. Sophomore reliever Justin Traxler joined Bertsch on the D3baseball Preseason All-American list. The tandem highlight a large class of returners who have various awards on their shelves from 2015.

Bertsch enters 2016 as the reigning ASC Player of the Year and the West Region Player of the Year. Michael Evan took home ASC Freshman of the Year accolades in 2015. Traxler rounds out the group of returning All-ASC First Team selections.

Garret Benyo and Race Mellman were All-ASC Second Team honorees last season while Gareth Hutton and Josh Smith were Third Team recipients. Luke Kress was named to the conference's honorable mention team a year ago.

Last season, Concordia finished fifth in the West Region with a 31-12 record. The Tornados were second in the ASC, both for the regular season and at the conference tournament.

CTX opens the season Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. against Piedmont at Tornado Field.