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| |
College Baseball
Poll -
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Friday, Dec. 19, 2003
RICE, MIAMI NO. 1 IN
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER
(www.baseballnews.com) POLL
- TUCSON, Ariz. — Defending national champion Rice University and the
University of Miami (Fla.) are deadlocked at the top of Collegiate
Baseball’s Fabulous 40 pre-season NCAA Division I baseball poll.
-
- Never in the history of the Collegiate Baseball poll, which dates
back to 1959, have two teams been tied in the pre-season poll for the top spot
in the nation. Rice (58-12 last season) returns what many consider to be one
of the best pitching staffs in the history of college baseball with three
first team Louisville Slugger pre-season All-Americans in RHP Jeff Niemann
(17-0, 1.70 ERA, 156 K, 35 BB), RHP Wade Townsend (11-2, 2.20 ERA, 164 K, 46
BB) and RHP Philip Humber (11-3, 3.30 ERA, 138 K, 39 BB). All three are
expected to be first round draft picks in next June’s Free Agent Draft.
-
- "There is no question our pitching staff should be strong," said Rice Head
Coach Wayne Graham, Collegiate Baseball’s National Coach of The Year in
2003. "This pitching staff is extremely sophisticated in what they bring to
the table. Niemann, Townsend and Humber are generating a lot of interest. But
let me tell you that Josh Baker is pretty good also. He would be the top
pitcher on many college baseball staffs."
-
- Miami finished fifth in the nation at the College World Series and rolled
to a 45-17-1 overall record last season. The Hurricanes return every starting
position player from a year ago in addition to every starting pitcher and
every key member of the bullpen.
-
- Headliners include Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American SS Ryan
Braun (.364, 17 HR, 16 2B, 76 RBI, 13 SB), All-American LHP J.D. Cockroft
(11-3, 2.72 ERA, 94 K, 35 BB) and former All-American closer RHP George Huguet
(7 SV, 2.36 ERA), plus a host of quality, quality ball players.
-
- As far as pitching, Miami returns three superb starters in Cockroft, LHP
Brandon Camardese (9-2, 5.01 ERA), RHP Vince Bongiovanni (8-4, 4.00 ERA) and
quality relief specialists in RHP Huguet and RHP Shawn Valdes-Fauli (5 SV,
5-0, 3.02 ERA).
-
- On offense, the team has a nice blend of power (70 HRs last season) and
gap power (134 doubles) along with speed (122 stolen bases). As far as
defense, Miami was second in the nation in double plays (72 in 63 games).
-
- "In my entire coaching career (which goes back to 1975 as an assistant
coach at Appalachian St.) I have never had an entire group of position player
starters and pitchers back like this," said Morris, entering his 11th
year with the Hurricanes.
-
- "It is very unusual. We had a very young ball club last year with only a
few being draft eligible. When you consider all these ball players coming back
coupled with a pretty good recruiting class that we brought in (15th
in the nation), we should have a fine ball club this season."
-
- The "Collegiate
Baseball" Newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its
birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.
|
Collegiate Baseball
Newspaper's |
|
NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll (As of Dec.
19, 2003) |
|
www.baseballnews.com |
|
Rank School (’03 Final Record) |
Points |
Final ’03 Rank |
|
1. Rice (58-12) |
495 |
1 |
|
Miami, Fla. (45-17-1) |
495 |
5 |
|
3. Louisiana St. (45-22-1) |
491 |
7 |
|
4. Georgia Tech. (44-18) |
489 |
14 |
|
5. Texas (50-20) |
486 |
4 |
|
6. Stanford (51-18) |
484 |
2 |
|
7. Arizona St. (54-14) |
481 |
10 |
|
8. Cal. St. Fullerton (50-16) |
477 |
3 |
|
9. Wichita St. (49-27) |
475 |
NR |
|
10. Notre Dame (45-18) |
470 |
28 |
|
11. Baylor (45-23) |
468 |
13 |
|
12. Long Beach St. (41-20) |
464 |
11 |
|
13. Tulane (44-19) |
462 |
NR |
|
14. South Carolina (45-22) |
458 |
6 |
|
15. Florida (37-21-1) |
457 |
NR |
|
16. Southern California (28-28) |
456 |
NR |
|
17. Clemson (39-22) |
450 |
NR |
|
18. Auburn (42-21) |
449 |
20 |
|
19. Florida Atlantic (47-16) |
446 |
23 |
|
20. Nebraska (47-18) |
445 |
15 |
|
21. North Carolina (42-23) |
443 |
19 |
|
22. Arizona (35-23) |
441 |
NR |
|
23. Washington (42-18) |
438 |
27 |
|
24. Florida St. (54-13-1) |
437 |
9 |
|
25. Minnesota (40-22) |
432 |
NR |
|
26. Nevada-Las Vegas (47-17) |
430 |
26 |
|
27. Mississippi (35-27) |
424 |
NR |
|
28. Winthrop (35-22) |
416 |
NR |
|
29. North Carolina St. (45-18) |
411 |
12 |
|
30. Mississippi St. (42-20-1) |
408 |
24 |
|
31. Ohio St. (44-21) |
406 |
18 |
|
32. Texas A&M (45-19) |
403 |
17 |
|
33. Oklahoma St. (34-24) |
398 |
NR |
|
34. U.C. Riverside (41-17) |
395 |
30 |
|
35. Alabama (28-24) |
392 |
NR |
|
36. Va. Commonwealth (46-13) |
390 |
NR |
|
37. Southern Miss. (47-16) |
386 |
25 |
|
38. Tennessee (31-24) |
380 |
NR |
|
39. San Diego (32-30) |
378 |
NR |
|
40. Stetson (41-24) |
375 |
NR |
|
