College Baseball Poll - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Monday (March 23, 2009)

GEORGIA NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER POLL

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Georgia (19-2) has been ranked No. 1 for the second time this season in Collegiate Baseball newspaper's NCAA Division I baseball poll.

The Bulldogs, 4-0 last week, swept a 3-game series against Mississippi St. and are off to the best home record in school history at 14-0.

Georgia is hitting .337 as a team with 35 homers, 52 doubles and 33/40 stolen bases in 21 games. The pitching staff has a 3.27 ERA with 203 strikeouts and only 67 walks.

North Carolina, ranked No. 1 last week, slipped to fifth after losing two of three to Duke. It marked the first weekend series loss since April 2007 for the Tar Heels and the first series loss to the Blue Devils since 2001.

POLL NOTES: Several other teams have been red-hot. Cal. St. Fullerton, ranked second this week, has won 15 of its last 16 games. Arkansas (16-4) started Southeastern Conference action with a 6-0 record for the first time in school history. Ohio St. has won nine straight games. New Mexico has rolled to a 22-3 record and is ranked for the first time this season. Last week, the Lobos knocked off Texas A&M twice. New Mexico St. has been just as impressive with a 20-3 record. The Aggies and Lobos split two games this season. Four teams fell out of the poll this week in Texas A&M (1-5 last week), Mississippi St. (1-4), Kansas St. (3-2) and Lamar (1-3). Four new teams in the poll include New Mexico, New Mexico St., Florida (5 wins in a row) and College of Charleston (winners of 14 of its last 15).

The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.

(Top 30 Agate Follows)

"LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

• OF Victor Franklin, Southern: Franklin had a monster week as he belted 7 home runs with 2 doubles and 18 RBIs over six games. He was 15-for-23 at the plate (.652) with 13 runs scored and four walks. His slugging percentage was 1.696. During a 3-game series against Texas Southern, Franklin belted 5 home runs.

• RHP Mike Leake, Arizona St.: Leake had a tremendous outing during a 4-1 complete game win over Arizona as he struck out 15 batters with only one walk. It was the most strikeouts by a Sun Devil pitcher since Mike Esposito fanned 17 Washington Huskies during the 2002 season. The outing marked his fifth career complete game.

• RHP Stephen Strasburg, San Diego St.: For the fourth time this season, and seventh time over the last two years, Strasburg has been named a Louisville Slugger National Player of The Week. Against Brigham Young, he struck out 15 batters in seven innings while giving up no runs, two hits and a walk.