Baseball Cracks NAIA Top 10
February 24, 2009
SHREVEPORT, La. – LSUS boasts a top ten ranking in the first regular season 2009 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, coming in at the No. 10 spot.
The Pilots (16-3, 11-1) are off to one of their best starts in school history, and jumped up five spots after being ranked No. 15 in the Preseason Top 25 Poll.
Oklahoma City University holds the No. 1 ranking, as the Stars earned 527 total points and 16 of the possible 19 first-place votes. With a perfect 13-0 record thus far, OCU is seeking its 11th World Series appearance after making it to the 2008 semifinal round. This No. 1 mark is the first for OCU since a top billing in the 2006 Preseason Top 25 Poll (Nov. 16).
No. 2 Lee (Tenn.) notched two first-place votes and 513 total points. The Flames are the national runners-up and stand 12-1 this year under 2008 Rawlings-NAIA National Coach of the Year Mark Brew. Thanks to an 11-2 start, Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) vaults to No. 3 after receiving votes in the Preseason Top 25. Spring Arbor (Mich.) received the No. 4 slot while Union (Ky.) stands at No. 5.
The defending national champions Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) fell from No. 1 in the preseason to No. 7 this time. The Warriors garnered the remaining first-place vote.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the 24 conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The second regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on March 17.
For more information on NAIA baseball, please click here (http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/naia-m-basebl-body.html).
2009 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (Feb. 24)
|
RANK |
LAST WEEK |
SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES) |
2009 RECORD* |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
NR |
Oklahoma City University (16) |
13-0 |
527 |
|
2 |
2 |
Lee University (Tenn.) (2) |
12-1 |
513 |
|
3 |
RV |
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) |
11-2 |
455 |
|
4 |
5 |
Spring Arbor University (Mich.) |
0-0 |
452 |
|
5 |
7 |
Union College (Ky.) |
9-0-1 |
437 |
|
6 |
6 |
Bellevue University (Neb.) |
0-0 |
427 |
|
7 |
1 |
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) (1) |
5-3 |
424 |
|
8 |
8 |
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) |
13-1 |
407 |
|
9 |
NR |
Lubbock Christian University (Texas) |
9-1 |
406 |
|
10 |
15 |
Louisiana State University-Shreveport |
15-2 |
402 |
|
11 |
12 |
Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.) |
11-1 |
391 |
|
12 |
16 |
Fresno Pacific University (Calif.) |
11-1 |
324 |
|
13 |
3 |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) |
7-5 |
312 |
|
14 |
17 |
Texas Wesleyan University |
9-1 |
295 |
|
15 |
11 |
Cumberland University (Tenn.) |
6-3 |
276 |
|
16 |
13 |
University of St. Francis (Ill.) |
0-0 |
275 |
|
17 |
NR |
Wayland Baptist University (Texas) |
15-3 |
259 |
|
18 |
18 |
Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) |
9-6 |
192 |
|
19 |
RV |
The Master's College (Calif.) |
14-4 |
162 |
|
20 |
10 |
University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) |
2-2-1 |
157 |
|
21 |
21 |
Warner University (Fla.) |
7-3 |
152 |
|
22 |
22 |
Ohio Dominican University |
0-0 |
124 |
|
23 |
RV |
Montreat College (N.C.) |
6-2 |
101 |
|
24 |
RV |
University of British Columbia |
8-1 |
92 |
|
25 |
RV |
Park University (Mo.) |
6-0 |
81 |
Others receiving votes:
Jamestown College (N.D.) 77; William Woods University (Mo.) 75; Univ of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Okla.) 72; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 69; William Carey University (Miss.) 67; Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) 63; California Baptist University 58; Madonna University (Mich.) 51; Northwood University (Fla.) 36; William Penn University (Iowa) 34; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 25; Belhaven College (Miss.) 15; Union University (Tenn.) 9; Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) 8; Bethany College (Kan.) 7; King College (Tenn.) 5; Lyon College (Ark.) 4; Dickinson State University (N.D.) 4; Northwestern College (Iowa) 4; Oklahoma Baptist University 3; Thomas University (Ga.) 3; Missouri Baptist University 1; College of Idaho 1; Taylor University (Ind.) 1; Tennessee Wesleyan College 1; Southern Nazarene University (Okla.) 1; Saint Xavier University (Ill.) 1; Berry College (Ga.) 1; Malone University (Ohio) 1; William Jewell College (Mo.) 1; Bacone College (Okla.) 1
