May 30, 2016
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bo Carter
214-418-6132
SEC champs earn top spot heading into NCAA tournament
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TEXAS A&M TOPS NCBWA DIVISION I POLL

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 19th year with its 2016 weekly surveys. Polls will be circulated from Feb. 22-June 30 (weekly through June 6) following the 70th annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Texas A&M Aggies (45-14) are No. 1 for the second time this season along with the March 28 survey. Mississippi State grabbed the No. 1 post on May 23 for the first time in ’16 after Florida dominated that poll spot 12 times in the initial 14 weeks. Miami (Fla.) was atop the poll for the first time in school history on April 11. UF (preseason No. 1 and Feb. 22-29-March 7-14-21, April 4-18-25-May 2-9-16) also has held No. 1 spot over all or parts of five months. The 2016 poll voters come from 40 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. There have been four different No. 1 schools in 2016 while in 2015 and ’13 there were five different schools at No. 1 slot. In 2014 there were six different top-ranked squads in 2014.

The eight No. 1 seeds in the 2016 NCAA Championships 64-team bracket are NCBWA poll No. 3 Florida as top seed, No. 6 Louisville as second seed, No. 2 Miami as third seed, No. 1 A&M as fourth seed, No. 11 Texas Tech in the fifth slot, No. 4 Mississippi State in sixth, No. 10 Clemson at seventh, and No. 5 LSU as the NCAA’s eighth seeded squad in the bracket. All 16 NCAA Regional hosts are among the NCBWA Top 30 this week.

The current survey has representation by 11 different conferences (and 16 for the season) among the 300 baseball-playing schools in the 2016 NCAA Division I ranks. The rankings of 2012 had a NCBWA-poll record 22 22 different DI conferences and independents rated at least one week while 16 separate circuits had team rankings in '15. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to ncbwa.com.

Rk. School Conference Record Week Pvs.
1. Texas A&M Southeastern 45-14 4-1 2
2. Miami Atlantic Coast 45-11 2-1 3
3. Florida Southeastern 47-13 3-2 5
4. Mississippi State Southeastern 41-16-1 1-2 1
5. LSU Southeastern 42-18 3-1 6
6. Louisville Atlantic Coast 47-12 1-2 4
7. Ole Miss Southeastern 43-17 3-1 10
8. Vanderbilt Southeastern 43-17 2-2 7
9. TCU Big 12 42-15 4-1 12
10. Clemson Atlantic Coast 42-18 4-0 14
11. Texas Tech Big 12 41-16 1-2 9
12. South Carolina Southeastern 42-15 0-2 8
13. Florida State Atlantic Coast 37-20 3-1 15
14. Virginia Atlantic Coast 37-20 1-2 11
15. N.C. State Atlantic Coast 35-20 1-2 13
16. Louisiana Sun Belt 41-19 4-0 17
17. Coastal Carolina Big South 44-15 4-0 20
18. Oklahoma State Big 12 36-20 1-2 16
19. Southern Miss Conference USA 40-18 4-0 23
20. Florida Atlantic Conference USA 38-17 1-2 18
21. UC Santa Barbara Big West 37-18-1 2-2 19
22. Tulane American Athletic 39-19 2-2 22
23. Bryant Northeast 47-10 3-0 26
24. Oregon State Pacific-12 35-19 3-0 24
25. North Carolina Atlantic Coast 34-21 0-0 21
26. Louisiana Tech Conference USA 40-18 3-2 27
27. Cal State Fullerton Big West 35-21 2-2 -
28. Dallas Baptist Missouri Valley 41-17 4-0 -
29. Arizona Pacific-12 38-20 5-0 -
30. Georgia Tech Atlantic Coast 36-23 1-3 25
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Alabama (32-26), Alabama State (38-15), Arizona State (34-21), East Carolina (34-21-1), Gonzaga (35-18), Houston (36-23), Kent State (44-14), Long Beach State (36-20), Navy (42-14-1), Nebraska (37-20), New Mexico (38-21), Ohio State (43-18-1), Rice (35-22), Sam Houston State (41-20), South Alabama (40-20), Southeast Missouri State (39-19), Southeastern Louisiana (39-19), St. Mary's (33-23), UNC Wilmington (39-17), Utah (25-27), Utah Valley (37-21), Washington (32-21), Wright State (44-15).
Dropped out: Arizona State (28), Long Beach State (29), BYU (30).
By conference: Atlantic Coast 8, Southeastern 7, Big 12 3, Conference USA 3, Big West 2, Pac-12 2, American Athletic 1, Big South 1, Missouri Valley 1, Northeast 1, Sun Belt 1.

Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Dick Howser Trophy, Regional Players of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors Division I Players of the Week, the Stopper of the Year, and publication and writing contests.

2016 NCBWA Polls (No. 1 Team):
Preseason (Florida)
Feb. 22 (Florida)
Feb. 29 (Florida)
March 7 (Florida)
March 14 (Florida)
March 21 (Florida)
March 28 (Texas A&M)
April 4 (Florida)
April 11 (Miami)
April 18 (Florida)
April 25 (Florida)
May 2 (Florida)
May 9 (Florida)
May 16 (Florida)
May 23 (Mississippi State)
May 30 (Texas A&M)
June 8 (Texas A&M)
Final (Coastal Carolina)