Feb. 6, 2018
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bo Carter
214-418-6132
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SEC leads all conferences with 9 ranked clubs
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FLORIDA TOPS 2018 PRESEASON NCBWA POLL

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 21st year with its 2018 weekly surveys as Florida tops this year’s preseason survey for the second time in NCBWA history.

Coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s Gators also were No. 1 prior to the 2012 campaign and are coming off their initial NCAA World Series victory in 2017 at Omaha, Neb., and a final 52-19 overall record.

Oregon State, which was tops nationally for most of the 2017 season and ended with the most victories (56) in DI baseball, is No. 2 in the survey among a Who’s Who of traditional Division I powers.

All eight 2017 NCAA World Series participants are included in the initial Top 35 poll with Florida, Oregon State, NCAA runner-up LSU at No. 11, Cal State Fullerton No. 10, Florida State No. 4, Louisville No. 14, TCU No. 5, and Texas A&M No. 9.

The 2018 poll voters come from among 35 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 beginning with the Feb. 19 NCBWA DI survey.

Previous No. 1 entries on the preseason NCBWA rankings have been LSU in the 1998, 2001 and 2009 polls, Southern California (1999), Miami (Fla.) (2000), Stanford (2002), Texas (2003, 06, 10), Rice (2004, 07), Cal State Fullerton (2005, 14), Arizona State (2008), North Carolina (2009), TCU (2011, 17), Florida (2012, 18), Arkansas (2013), and Vanderbilt (2015).

The current survey has representation by 12 different conferences among the 299 baseball-playing schools in the 2018 NCAA Division I ranks. The rankings of 2017 had 13 different DI conferences rated at least one week. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to ncbwa.com.

Rk. School Conference Record Pvs.
1. Florida SEC 52-19 1
2. Oregon State Pac-12 56-6 3
3. Texas Tech Big 12 45-17 18
4. Florida State ACC 46-23 6
5. TCU Big 12 50-18 4
6. Arkansas SEC 45-19 21
7. North Carolina ACC 49-14 14
8. Kentucky SEC 43-23 10
9. Texas A&M SEC 41-23 8
10. Cal State Fullerton Big West 39-24 7
11. LSU SEC 51-20 2
12. UCLA Pac-12 30-27 -
13. Stanford Pac-12 42-16 20
14. Louisville ACC 53-12 5
15. Vanderbilt SEC 36-25-1 15
16. Ole Miss SEC 32-25 -
17. Mississippi State SEC 40-27 13
18. Virginia ACC 43-16 22
19. Clemson ACC 42-21 24
20. Dallas Baptist Missouri Valley 42-21 28
21. Texas Big 12 39-24 23
22. South Alabama Sun Belt 40-21
23. Southern Miss Conference USA 50-16 17
24. Indiana Big Ten 34-24-2 -
25. Houston American Athletic 42-21 25
26. Miami ACC 30-27 -
27. West Virginia Big 12 36-26 -
28. N.C. State ACC 36-25 29
29. UCF American Athletic 40-22 -
30. Arizona Pac-12 38-21 26
31. Duke ACC 30-28 -
32. South Carolina SEC 35-25 -
33. Oklahoma Big 12 35-24 -
34. Louisiana Sun Belt 35-21-1 -
35. Missouri State Missouri Valley 43-20 12
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Florida Atlantic (35-21-1), Georgia Tech (27-28), Iowa (37-22), Kent State (37-18), Long Beach State (42-20-1), Maryland (38-23), Michigan (42-17), Nebraska (35-22-1), Oklahoma State (30-27), Oral Roberts (43-16), St. John's (42-13), Sam Houston State (44-23), San Diego (35-18-1), Tennessee Tech (41-21), UT Arlington (30-25), Wake Forest (43-20), Washington (28-26), Winthrop (34-24).
By conference: SEC 9, ACC 8, Big 12 5, Missouri Valley 4, Pac-12 4, American Athletic 2, Sun Belt 2, Big Ten 1, Big West 1, Conference USA 1, Mountain West 1, Ohio Valley 1.
Records are from the 2017 season; Previous rank is from final 2017 poll

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.

2018 NCBWA Polls (No. 1 Team):
• Preseason (Florida)
• Feb. 19 (Florida)
• Feb. 26 (Florida)
• March 5 (Florida)
• March 12 (Oregon State)
• March 19 (Oregon State)
• March 26 (Oregon State)
• April 2 (Florida)
• April 9 (Florida)
• April 16 (Florida)
• April 23 (Stanford)
• April 30 (Stanford)
• May 7 (Stanford)
• May 14 (Florida)
• May 21 (Oregon State)
• May 28 (Oregon State)
• June 5 (Oregon State)
• June 29 (Oregon State)