Tusculum, Catawba Ranked in Collegiate Baseball Poll

TUSCON, Ariz. -- Two South Atlantic Conference baseball teams will start the 2007 season ranked among the nation's best.

The Tusculum College baseball team is ranked No. 25 in the nation according to the 2007 Preseason Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II Top 40 poll, while Catawba College comes in at No. 28.

The Pioneers return 13 lettermen from last year's 40-14-1 squad that captured Tusculum's second straight South Atlantic Conference championship and posted 40 wins for a second consecutive campaign.

Tusculum received 250 votes and moved up one spot from its No. 26 position at the end of the 2006 season. Defending national champion Tampa is listed No. 1 in this year's inaugural poll.

The Pioneers open the season Feb. 3 when they face Newberry College in the opening game of the Preseason SAC Tournament in Kannapolis, N.C.

Catawba shared the 2006 league title with Tusculum, and went on to win the 2006 Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament championship. The Indians finished the year ranked 10th in the final 2006 poll.

For more information, go to the collegiate baseball website

2007 Preseason Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 40
2006
Rk. School Rec. Pts. Prv.
1 Tampa 54-6 640 1
2 Georgia College & State 53-12 614 T7
3 California State Chico 46-21 612 2
4 Florida Southern 38-19 596 22
5 Montevallo 43-18 566 3
6 Francis Marion 41-18 564 6
7 Ashland 47-17 560 5
8 Emporia State 48-13 516 9
9 Central Missouri State 44-16 490 17
10 Franklin Pierce 46-13 486 4
11 Kutztown 44-14 480 12
12 Grand Valley State 47-10 472 11
13 Delta State 37-15 462 NR
14 Columbus State 41-20 450 14
15 Central Oklahoma 40-20 420 T30
16 Florida Gulf Coast 41-17 378 T27
17 Abilene Christian 44-18 360 20
18 Mesa State 39-19 356 T30
19 West Chester 39-20 348 T7
20 Mount Olive 39-16 344 NR
21 Minnesota State-Mankato 43-14 322 15
22 USC Aiken 45-19 314 16
23 Northern Kentucky 42-20-1 312 NR
24 St. Mary's (Texas) 36-18 282 NR
25 Tusculum 40-14-1 250 26
26 Western Oregon 40-16 214 21
27 Quincy 40-20 206 NR
28 Catawba 47-14 200 10
29 California, Pa. 33-18 176 NR
30 UC San Diego 35-24 166 NR
Massachusetts-Lowell 37-14 166 NR
32 Nebraska-Omaha 45-14 164 NR
33 Angelo State 41-16 154 T30
34 Rockhurst 36-22 126 NR
35 West Virginia State 45-9-1 98 13
CSU-Los Angeles 36-16-1 98 19
37 USC Upstate 33-24 68 NR
SIU-Edwardsville 40-19-1 68 T27
39 Nova Southeastern 33-19 32 NR
Ouachita Baptist 31-24 32 NR
Wayne State (Neb.) 37-15-1 32 NR
Southern Connecticut State 36-19 32 NR
Slippery Rock 34-22 32 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Armstrong Atlantic State 26, CSU-Dominguez Hills 18, Fort Hays State 16, West Alabama 8, Southern Arkansas 4, Shippensburg 4, Erskine 4, Barry 2, Lynn 2, Saint Leo 2, Lander 2, UNC Pembroke 2, Shepherd 2, Ohio Valley 2, Dominican 2, New Haven 2, Northwest Missouri State 2, Missouri Western State 2, North Alabama 2, West Florida 2, Mercyhurst 2, Colorado State-Pueblo 2, Sonoma State 2