Tigers Move Up in Baseball Polls

by Press Release - Mon May 01 15:23:39 GMT-04:00 2006

TUCSON, Ariz. — North Carolina (39-8) has been ranked No. 1 for the third straight week in Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s poll of NCAA Division I baseball.

The Tar Heels, winners of eight straight and 16 of their last 18 games, hit 10 home runs last week over five games and currently lead the Atlantic Coast Conference with 57 homers. The pitching staff has not surrendered a homer over the last 13 games. North Carolina’s pitching staff, which has a 3.16 ERA, have allowed more than three earned runs just once over its last 12 games.

The Tar Heels’ 39-8 overall record is the best in school history through 47 games. North Carolina is No. 1 in the ACC with an 18-6 mark and has won 10 straight league games.

Poll Notes: Several teams have been red-hot. Nebraska has won 18 of its last 19 while Mississippi has strung together 10 consecutive wins. Rice has also been on a tear with seven straight victories and 17 consecutive wins in Conference USA action. Three teams fell out of the poll this week in Mississippi St. (1-4 last week), College of Charleston (0-1) and Baylor (2-3).

The Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.


Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's


NCAA Div. I Poll (As of May 1, 2006)


 


 


Rank School (Record) 		Pts Previous 


 1. North Carolina (39-8) 	496  1 


 2. Rice (39-9) 		493  3 


 3. Nebraska (36-6) 		492  4 


 4. Cal. St. Fullerton (33-11) 	490  2 


 5. Alabama (34-13) 		484  6 


 6. Oregon St. (32-10) 		481  7 


 7. Texas (31-15) 		477  9 


 8. Notre Dame (35-9-1) 	476  8 


 9. Clemson (33-13) 		472 12 


10. Houston (31-16) 		470 13 


11. Oklahoma (35-11) 		467 14 


12. Virginia (38-10) 		465 15 


13. Florida St. (35-11) 	463 10 


14. Georgia Tech. (33-12) 	462  5 


15. Kentucky (34-11) 		460 18 


16. Miami, Fla. (29-16) 	458 17 


17. Mississippi (30-15) 	457 22 


18. North Carolina St. (32-15) 	456 11 


19. South Carolina (32-12) 	453 19 


20. Arizona St. (29-16) 	450 16 


21. Wake Forest (30-14) 	446 21 


22. Washington (30-16) 		444 27 


23. Arkansas (31-14) 		439 23 


24. Vanderbilt (27-18) 		438 24 


25. Old Dominion (35-8) 	437 25 


26. Troy (34-12) 		435 — 


27. Pepperdine (30-16) 		433 28 


28. Tulane (30-16) 		430 — 


29. Southern Miss. (31-16) 	428 — 


30. Winthrop (33-12) 		426 30

Baseball America

DURHAM, N.C.--Rice becomes the sixth team to hold the top spot in Baseball America's weekly college baseball rankings. The Owls have won seven straight games, 17 straight in Conferene USA and 21 of their last 22.

No. 2 North Carolina swept its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference series and has won 13 of its last 14 games. No. 3 Nebraska has wins in 18 of its last 19 games after finishing off a 4-0 week with a Big 12 Conference sweep. Cal State Fullerton slid from first to fourth. It has won eight straight series since losing at Rice, but its recent 8-4 record isn't as dominant as those teams that moved ahead of it in a tightly bunched quartet atop the rankings.

Notre Dame's win streak ended at 23 games with a midweek loss, but three wins and a tie helped carry the Irish into the Top 10 for the first time all season.

Pepperdine won its third consecutive West Coast Conference series to move into sole possession of first place in its league and back into the rankings at No. 21. Washington joined the Top 25 for the second time this season at No. 22. Miami won a series at North Carolina State, moving back into the rankings at No. 24 and pushing the Wolfpack out.

The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25 rankings. Records indicated are through games of April 30 and do not include ties.

Team W-L

1. Rice 39-9

2. North Carolina 39-8

3. Nebraska 36-6

4. Cal State Fullerton 33-11

5. Oregon State 32-10

6. Alabama 34-13

7. Texas 31-15

8. Clemson 33-13

9. Oklahoma 35-11

10. Notre Dame 35-9