Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
LA Tech utility player Ethan Bates was named to the Preseason all-Conference USA team announced on Thursday while the Bulldogs were picked to finish third in the 9-team league.
Bates earned his spot at utility among the 18-man preseason squad.
The Bulldogs are picked behind preseason favorite Dallas Baptist and Liberty while nudging out Sam Houston, WKU, Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State, FIU and New Mexico State. Tech garnered 60 points while DBU earned all nine first place votes (81 points).
Bates was named third team all-American last year as well as first team all-CUSA at utility and second team all-CUSA at relief pitcher.
He started 56 games, including 31 at second base, 18 at third base and seven as the DH, while making 25 appearances on the mound in relief.
The Hot Springs, Arkansas, native batted .270 with 16 home runs, eight doubles, one triple, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored and one stolen base. His 16 home runs ranked second on the team and seventh in CUSA.
As a pitcher, Bates recorded a team-best ERA of 3.02 with a 4-3 record while throwing 44.2 innings and striking out 57 batters. He racked up 10 saves, third-most in CUSA and tied for second most in a single season in program history.
LA Tech opens the season with a four-game series against Northern Colorado at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. The first pitch on Opening Day is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16.
2024 CUSA Baseball Preseason Poll
| Rank | School (first-place votes) | Total |
| 1. | DBU (9) | 81 |
| 2. | Liberty | 64 |
| 3. | Louisiana Tech | 60 |
| 4. | Sam Houston | 57 |
| 5. | WKU | 48 |
| 6. | MTSU | 29 |
| 7. | Jax State | 26 |
| 8. | FIU | 25 |
| 9. | NM State | 15 |
CUSA Baseball Preseason Player of the Year
Grant Jay, DBU, C
CUSA Baseball Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Ryan Johnson, DBU, RHP
CUSA Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team
| Name | Yr. | Pos. | Hometown |
| Grant Jay, DBU | So. | C | Semmes, Ala. |
| Miguel Santos, DBU | Sr. | INF | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Derrick Jackson, Jr., Jax State | Sr. | INF | Huntsville, Ala. |
| Cam Foster, Liberty | Jr. | INF | Douglasville, Ga. |
| Aidan Sweatt, Liberty | Sr. | INF | Fernandina Beach, Fla. |
| Easton Lloyd, Sam Houston | Sr. | INF | Marshall, Texas |
| Nathan Humphreys, DBU | Jr. | OF | Midlothian, Texas |
| Keith Jones, NM State | Sr. | OF | Brentwood, Calif. |
| Jake Tatom, Sam Houston | So. | OF | Kingwood, Texas |
| Ethan Mann, DBU | R-Sr. | DH | McKinney, Texas |
| Ethan Bates, LA Tech | Sr. | UTIL | Hot Springs, Ark. |
| Ryan Johnson, DBU, RHP | Jr. | SP | Red Oak, Texas |
| Garrett Horn, Liberty, LHP | Jr. | SP | Kernersville, N.C. |
| Coltin Atkinson, Sam Houston, RHP | Sr. | SP | Porter, Texas |
| Lane Diuguid, WKU, LHP | Sr. | SP | Hopkinsville, Ky. |
| Dawson Hall, WKU, RHP | So. | SP | Bowling Green, Ky. |
| Chandler David, Sam Houston, RHP | Sr. | RP | Van Alstyne, Texas |
| Mason Burns, WKU, RHP | Sr. | RP | Bloomington, Ill. |
