News from Midwestern State includes the preseason Lone Star Conference polls, the MSU men's soccer team climbing in the national rankings and the cross country tem moving up the regional ranks. Lone Star Conference coaches, sports information directors and selected media have a forecast for Midwestern State's first-year coach Grant McCasland - instant success. The Mustangs, who were picked first on 13 of 21 ballots, are the favorites to repeat as Lone Star Conference South Division champions after going 25-7 last season which included a trip to the South Central Regionals for the fourth time since the school made the jump to NCAA Division II in 1995. Midwestern was picked to finish sixth in this same poll last season. MSU, who has claimed two league championships and advanced to the national postseason over the past three years, return three starters and a total of eight letter winners from last year's squad that fell to Central Missouri in last season's regional semifinals. But much has changed since the final buzzer on that blustery spring day in Warrensburg, Mo. McCasland, who has taken over for Jeff Ray, who led the Mustangs to the four conference titles and subsequent NCAA appearances, arrives at MSU after spending the last five seasons as head coach at Midland College, where he led the Chaps to a pair of national final appearances including an NJCAA national championship in 2007. The cupboard is not bare despite the loss of LSC Player of the Year Nolan Richardson, who led the region in scoring at 21.1 points per game. The Mustangs return three starters in senior guard Craig Green, who averaged 11.3 points per game and shot 44.8 percent from 3-point range, senior forward Michael Godwin (6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds per game) and junior forward Charlie Logan (6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds). Anthony Moore (7.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists) headlines a pack of four returners off of the bench including senior guard Phillip Homere, senior forwards Chris Wi l liams and Aboubakar Wandji and sophomore guard Melvin Clark. MSU will look to transfers Chris Hagan (G, Blinn College), Adrian Van Buren (G, Midland College), Jason Ebie (G, TCU), Antonio Jones (G, Coffeyville CC) and Rashad Austin (F, Bradley University). The Mustangs received a total of 125 points to edge out Angelo State (111, 5 first-place votes), Tarleton State (104, 2), West Texas A&M (92), Texas A&M-Kingsville (82, 1), Abilene Christian (48) and Eastern New Mexico (26). Angelo State senior forward Shavar Burch, who averaged 11.9 points and 7.1 rebounds a game last season, was named preseason player of the year, but by a narrow margin over Green, Flavio Milam of Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M's Jacquiese Holcombe and Nick Burns. Midwestern State opens exhibition play against Wayland Baptist Monday night against Wayland Baptist at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ================================== The preseason prognosticator consortium of coaches, sports information directors and selected media members think not much will change in the Lone Star Conference South Division women's basketball race in 2009-10. Midwestern State was picked to repeat its sixth-place finish after finishing its first campaign under the direction of Noel Johnson at 8-18 last season. West Texas A&M collected nine of the 21 first-place votes to qualify as the favorites with 124 total points followed by Tarleton State. The TexAnns, who had four first-place votes and tallied 110 total points, are the only variance to last season's finishing order as they were the last qualifier for the LSC postseason tournament with a fourth-place finish in 2008-09. Abilene Christian (four first-place votes, 108 points) was picked third followed by Angelo State ( 2 and 93), Texas A&M-Kingsville (2 and 80), MSU (45) and Eastern New Mexico (28). The Mustangs return four starters including senior guards Andrea Buben (8.7 points, 39 3-pointers), Katiya Jackson (6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and Michelle Duff (2.8 points, 3.6 assists) as well as sophomore forward Cierra Thompson (7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds). MSU also returns senior forward Emily Welborn, junior guard Breeanna Brown and a trio of sophomores including guard Karissa Lang and forwards Savannah Carver and Jazman Patterson. The Mustangs will also look to transfers Nolisha Markham (F, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) and Aqueelah Watkins (G/F, Howard College), prep signee Alicia Houston (G, San Antonio Reagan High School) and former volleyball standout Whitney Maxwell. Midwestern opens exhibition play against the Dallas Diesel on Nov. 11 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.