The South Dakota State men’s golf team was picked eighth in the 2015 Summit League Coaches’ Poll Tuesday.

The Jackrabbits received 19 votes from the league’s head coaches. Last season, SDSU was picked fifth in the preseason poll and finished third at The Summit League Championship.

Defending Summit League champion, Denver (64), was selected as the favorite to claim the 2015 league championship. The Pioneers, ranked No. 76 in the Golfweek rankings, are followed by IUPUI (53) in second and Oral Roberts (52) in third.

SDSU sophomore Grant Smith (Des Moines, Iowa) leads the Jackrabbits into the spring season with a 74.79 scoring average in 14 rounds. This fall, he had four rounds below par and collected a pair of top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes.

Senior Dylan Baker (Eden Prairie, Minn.) sports a 75.14 average and registered a top-five finish and claimed two top-10 spots.

The Jacks finished the fall season with a 320.29 scoring average and three top-10 finishes, including third at the Whistling Straits Intercollegiate, Sept. 1 and 2.

The 2015 Summit League Men’s Golf Championship will be May 1-3 at the La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc, Calif. The team champion will earn the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Men’s Golf Tournament.

The SDSU men’s golf team opens play at the Barona Collegiate Cup in California Feb. 9 and 10.