Tigers Picked Behind Tar Heels in Preseason Baseball Poll

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina, coming off a 54-14 season and seeking its fourth straight trip to the College World Series, received the nod as Atlantic Coast Conference baseball preseason favorite in voting by the league’s 12 head coaches.

The Tar Heels tallied 72 points with 12 first-place votes in receiving the nod as Coastal Division favorite and were named the overall ACC favorite on 10 ballots.

Florida State picked up eight first-place votes in Atlantic Division voting and emerged the coaches’ choice to win a third straight division title. The Seminoles finished with 67 points. Clemson picked up the other four first-place votes and placed second with 61 points.

Georgia Tech (56 points) finished second to North Carolina in the Coastal Division balloting, followed by defending Coastal Division champion Miami (49), Virginia (34), Duke (24) and Virginia Tech (17).

NC State (50 points) placed third behind Florida State and Clemson in Atlantic Division voting. Wake Forest (33) was fourth, followed by Boston College (25) and Maryland (16).

ACC teams open their seasons Feb. 20 and conclude regular-season play May 16. The ACC Baseball Championship will be held May 20-24 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC. The ACC placed six teams in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and led all conferences by placing four teams in the Super Regionals and three – Florida State, Miami and North Carolina – in the College World Series.

Complete results of the 2009 ACC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll are listed below. First-place votes are in parenthesis:

ATLANTIC DIVISION


Team                  Points


Florida State (8)     67


Clemson (4)           61


NC State              50


Wake Forest           33


Boston College        25


Maryland              16


COASTAL DIVISION


Team                  Points


North Carolina (12)   72


Georgia Tech          56


Miami                 49


Virginia              34


Duke                  24


Virginia Tech         17


Overall champion: North Carolina (10)

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