Collegiate Baseball Div. I Poll 3-25-13

NORTH CAROLINA NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL POLL

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of North Carolina (21-1) is ranked No. 1 for the sixth consecutive week in Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s NCAA Division I baseball poll.

The Tar Heels, winners of five straight, beat Princeton last week and Boston College twice. North Carolina is averaging 9.4 runs per game and has a microscopic 1.70 team ERA with 185 strikeouts and 76 walks over 22 games. The highly disciplined offense has walked 136 times (6.1 free passes per game) and collected 75 extra base hits. 

Poll Notes: Several other teams have also been superb. Indiana has won 11 in a row while Cal. St. Fullerton, Oklahoma and Houston have each captured 10 straight.

In key series over the past weekend, Oregon St. beat Arizona St. two of three, Vanderbilt beat Florida two of three, Arkansas swept three at South Carolina, Texas A&M beat Mississippi two of three, Florida St. beat Georgia Tech. two of three, Kentucky beat Mississippi St. two of three, UCLA beat California two of three, Virginia swept a 3-game series against N.C. State, and Louisville lost two of three to Rutgers.

Four teams fell out of the poll this week in Stanford (lost two of three at home to Utah), Arizona St. (1-3 last week), California (1-3), and Central Arkansas (1-3). New to the poll are Houston (21-4 overall), Indiana (18-3), Rice (18-8, won 9 of last 10), and Pittsburgh (15-6, won 4 in row).

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

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER’S NATIONAL
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

• LHP Ryan Kellogg, Arizona St.: Kellogg threw the ninth no-hitter in Arizona St. history during a complete-game, 4-0 shutout over Oregon St. on the road. It was ASU’s first no-hitter since the 1993 season and the school’s fourth by a freshman. Kellogg did not allow a walk in 110 pitches as only two base runners reached base on Sun Devil errors. He struck out three batters.

• RHP Cameron Finch, Murray St.: Finch threw the eighth no-hitter in Murray St. history during a 1-0 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. He struck out five and required only 96 pitches to throw a complete, 9-inning win. It was the first no-hitter at Murray St. since the 1986 season.

• LHP Bryan Radziewski, Miami (Fla.): Radziewski struck out 16 batters against Virginia Tech during a 2-0 complete game win. After allowing a double on his first pitch of the night, Radziewski did not allow another hit until the eighth inning. It marked the sixth highest strikeout total in Miami history and the first complete game shutout for a Miami pitcher since the 2009 season.

• LHP Harrison Musgrave, West Virginia: Musgrave struck out a career-high 13 batters in 6 2/3 innings against Texas Tech. during a 2-0 win over the Red Raiders. He only allowed 2 hits. His 13 strikeouts are the most in the Big 12 this season and the most by a WVU pitcher since 2004.