NCBWA Releases 2009 Preseason Division I Poll

by Press Release - Tue Jan 13 15:59:49 GMT-04:00 2009

DALLAS - The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 12th year with its 2009 preseason predictions and weekly surveys. Weekly polls will continue from Feb. 23 through June 25 following the NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb.

The poll voters come from 32 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. After a preseason Top 35 listing, the remainder of the polls will feature a national Top 30.

North Carolina has received the No. 1 preseason nod for the first time in NCBWA history after coach Mike Fox's crew closed 54-14 and third in the final 2008 NCBWA survey. The Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse was runnerup in both 2006 and '07 and has the potential to take all the marbles in 2009. Previous preseason No. 1 choices have been LSU (1998, 2001), Southern California (1999), Miami (Fla.) (2000), Stanford (2002), Texas (2003, 06), Cal State Fullerton (2005), Rice (2004, 07), and Arizona State (2008). Fresno State is defending NCAA champ after Oregon State won the baseball crown in Omaha in both 2006 and '07.

This week's poll has representation by 13 different conferences among the 302 baseball-playing schools in the 2009 NCAA Division I ranks. The polls of 2008 had teams from 17 different DI conferences rated at least one week. The preseason poll lists schools, and the remaining polls with consist of Top 30 choices. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to www.ncbwa.com.

Rank-School-2008 Record-Final '08 Poll Place

1 North Carolina Atlantic Coast 54-14 3

2 LSU Southeastern 49-19-1 6

3 Rice Conference USA 47-15 7

4 Texas A&M Big 12 46-19 14

5 Georgia SEC 45-25-1 2

6 Florida State ACC 54-14 8

7 Arizona State Pacific-10 49-13 9

8 Texas Big 12 39-22 21

9 Stanford Pac-10 41-24-2 4

10 Cal State Fullerton Big West 41-22 11

11 Louisville Big East 41-21 NR

12 Miami (Fla.) ACC 53-11 5

13 Georgia Tech ACC 41-21 26

14 Mississippi SEC 39-26 NR

15 UC Irvine Big West 42-18 10

16 Oklahoma State Big 12 44-18 17

17 Fresno State Western Athletic 47-31 1

18 San Diego West Coast 44-17 18

19 Baylor Big 12 32-26 NR

20 Missouri Big 12 39-21 19

21 Pepperdine WCC 38-21 NR

22 Coastal Carolina Big South 50-14 13

23 Kentucky SEC 44-19 23

24 Florida SEC 34-24 NR

25 UCLA Pac-10 33-27 NR

26 Clemson ACC 31-27-1 NR

27 East Carolina C-USA 42-21 NR

28 Oklahoma Big 12 36-26 NR

29 Arizona Pac-10 42-19 12

30 Michigan Big Ten 46-14 28

31 Oregon State Pac-10 28-24 NR

32 TCU Mountain West 44-19 NR

33 Southern California Pac-10 28-28 NR

34 Tulane C-USA 39-22-1 NR

35 Wichita State Missouri Valley 48-17 15

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Alabama (35-28), Arkansas (34-24), Auburn (28-28), Bethune-Cookman (36-22), California (33-21-2), Charlotte (43-16), College of Charleston (39-20), Dallas Baptist (37-19), Elon (44-18), Houston (42-24), Lamar (35-23), Long Beach State (38-21), Missouri State (40-17), NC State (42-22), Nebraska (41-16), New Orleans (43-21), Notre Dame (33-21-1), Ohio State (30-26), Oral Roberts (48-14), Oregon (0-0), Sam Houston State (37-25), San Diego State (31-28), Santa Clara (33-22), South Carolina (40-23), Southern Miss (42-22), St. John's (42-16), Tennessee (27-29), UC Davis (35-24), UC Santa Barbara (35-21), UNC Wilmington (44-17), UTSA (39-19), Vanderbilt (41-22), Virginia (39-23).

By conference: Big 12 6, Pacific-10 6, Atlantic Coast 5, Southeastern 5, Conference USA 3, Big West 2, West Coast 2, Big East 1, Big South 1, Big Ten 1, Missouri Valley 1, Mountain West 1, Western Athletic 1.