May 31, 2021
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bo Carter
214-418-6132
SEC champs top rankings for 9th straight week
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ARKANSAS TOPS NCBWA DIVISION I POLL

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 24th year with its 2021 weekly surveys, and Southeastern Conference postseason champ (first in school history) Arkansas is No. 1 for the 2021-high 11th week and season-best eighth week in a row this spring.

SEC schools – Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt – also have topped each of the NCBWA Top 30 polls in ’21.

All 16 NCAA Regional hosts appear in this week’s poll, along with the possible team hosts for eight NCAA Super Regionals, to determine the field for the 74th NCAA Division I Baseball World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 19-30. The CWS was cancelled in ’20 due to COVID-19, and Vanderbilt won the last national title in 2019 at TD Ameritrade Stadium.

This week’s poll also includes several alterations in the NCBWA Top 30 survey. Tennessee moved up one position to No. 3 from 4, Arizona is No. 5 after holding down 7 on May 24, TCU climbed eight places from No. 14 to 6 after winning the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, and Ole Miss rose from No. 10 to 8. Oregon remained at No. 9 this week.

This is the next-to-last NCBWA Division I poll before the NCAA World Series. There will be another poll on June 7 and then a postseason survey the day after the 2021 DI champion is crowned.

There have been 14 conferences (a season-high 11 for two weeks in succession) represented in the first 16 standings of 2021, and there were 15 different conferences included in the COVID-19 abbreviated NCBWA polls in 2020.

The 2021 poll voters come from among 33 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. The ’21 season features 302 NCAA Division I baseball-playing schools and for more information or to join the NCBWA please go to ncbwa.com.

Rk. School Conference Record Pvs.
1. Arkansas SEC 46-10 1
2. Texas Big 12 42-15 2
3. Tennessee SEC 45-16 4
4. Vanderbilt SEC 40-15 3
5. Arizona Pac-12 40-15 7
6. TCU Big 12 40-17 14
7. Texas Tech Big 12 36-15 5
8. Ole Miss SEC 41-19 10
9. Oregon Pac-12 37-14 9
10. Notre Dame ACC 30-11 8
11. Stanford Pac-12 33-14 12
12. Mississippi State SEC 40-15 6
13. Florida SEC 38-20 13
14. Old Dominion Conference USA 42-14 20
15. East Carolina American Athletic 41-15 11
16. UC Irvine Big West 40-16 15
17. Louisiana Tech Conference USA 40-18 21
18. UCLA Pac-12 35-18 19
19. Oklahoma State Big 12 35-17-1 27
20. Nebraska Big Ten 31-12 26
21. South Carolina SEC 33-21 16
22. Southern Miss Conference USA 37-19 22
23. N.C. State ACC 30-17 25
24. Charlotte Conference USA 39-19 17
25. Florida State ACC 30-22 24
26. Gonzaga West Coast 33-17 18
27. Duke ACC 32-20 RV
28. Arizona State Pac-12 32-20 23
29. Dallas Baptist Missouri Valley 37-15 30
30. Fairfield MAAC 37-3 28
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Abilene Christian (34-19), Baylor (31-18), California (28-24), California Baptist (37-15), Central Michigan (35-16), Connecticut (30-16), Duke (28-20), Georgia (30-23), Georgia Tech (28-21), Grand Canyon (36-19-1), Jackson State (32-9), Kansas State (31-21), Liberty (37-12), Louisville (27-21), LSU (34-21), Maryland (26-15), Michigan (26-15), Nevada (21-18), Oregon State (33-20), San Diego (30-11), San Diego State (28-15), Southern Illinois (38-18), UC Santa Barbara (35-18), VCU (34-14).
Dropped out: Miami (29).
By conference: Pac-12 6, SEC 6, ACC 4, Big 12 4, Conference USA 4, American Athletic 1, Big Ten 1, Big West 1, MAAC 1, Missouri Valley 1, West Coast 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.

2021 NCBWA Polls (No. 1 Team):
Preseason (Florida)
Feb. 23 (Ole Miss)
March 1 (Arkansas)
March 8 (Arkansas)
March 15 (Arkansas)
March 22 (Vanderbilt)
March 29 (Vanderbilt)
April 5 (Vanderbilt)
April 12 (Arkansas)
April 19 (Arkansas)
April 26 (Arkansas)
May 3 (Arkansas)
May 10 (Arkansas)
May 17 (Arkansas)
May 24 (Arkansas)
May 31 (Arkansas)
June 8 (Arkansas)
July 1 (Mississippi State)