Ball State University Athletics
Baseball Ranked 31st in Nation in Preseason Poll
December 24, 2014 | Baseball
Ball State's baseball team has been ranked 31st in the country in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 Preseason Poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum.
“It is nice to be recognized nationally,” Cardinals' head coach Rich Maloney said. “This is a big step in the rebuilding of our program. This is recognition for last year's team success and the amount of returning players we have back from our championship season. We have a young talented nucleus that is climbing a mountain and we have a long way to go. We are excited about the future of Ball State baseball.”
Ball State finished the 2014 season with a 39-18 overall record, a 22-4 Mid-American Conference mark, the MAC Regular-Season Championship and a MAC West Division title.
The preseason poll factors in voting by NCAA Division I coaches across the nation, how a team finished last season, returning position players and pitchers, potential draft picks and the quality of its recruiting class.
The Cardinals open the 2015 season Feb. 13 vs Kentucky at the UNC-Wilmington Buffalo Wild Wings Battle at the Beach. Kentucky is one of eight teams on Ball State's schedule that were ranked or received votes in the preseason poll. Kent State of the MAC was picked 30th, while Illinois was ranked 40th. Kentucky, Indiana State, Miami University, Indiana, Coastal Carolina and Central Michigan all received votes in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll.
|
Rank |
Team (2014 Record) |
Points |
|
1. |
Vanderbilt (51-21) |
494 |
|
2. |
Texas Christian (48-18) |
492 |
|
3. |
Virginia (53-16) |
489 |
|
4. |
Louisiana St. (46-16-1) |
487 |
|
5. |
Oklahoma St. (48-18) |
485 |
|
6. |
Florida (40-23) |
483 |
|
7. |
Texas (46-21) |
480 |
|
8. |
Houston (48-18) |
479 |
|
9. |
Texas Tech. (45-21) |
477 |
|
10. |
UCLA (25-30-1) |
473 |
|
11. |
Florida St. (43-17) |
469 |
|
12. |
Louisville (50-17) |
468 |
|
13. |
Cal. Poly (47-12) |
467 |
|
14. |
Miami, Fla. (44-19) |
465 |
|
15. |
Oregon (44-20) |
462 |
|
16. |
U.C. Santa Barbara (34-17-1) |
460 |
|
17. |
Cal. St. Fullerton (34-24) |
458 |
|
18. |
Stanford (35-26) |
457 |
|
19. |
Arizona St. (33-24) |
454 |
|
20. |
Mississippi St. (39-24) |
452 |
|
21. |
South Carolina (44-18) |
449 |
|
22. |
Rice (42-20) |
446 |
|
23. |
Liberty (41-18) |
445 |
|
24. |
North Carolina (35-27) |
443 |
|
25. |
College of Charleston (44-19) |
440 |
|
26. |
Georgia Tech. (37-27) |
438 |
|
27. |
Kennesaw St. (40-24) |
436 |
|
28. |
Clemson (36-25) |
432 |
|
29. |
St. John's (35-20) |
430 |
|
30. |
Kent St. (36-23) |
427 |
|
31. |
Ball St. (39-18) |
425 |
|
32. |
Wichita St. (31-28) |
424 |
|
33. |
Tennessee (31-23) |
421 |
|
34. |
San Diego (34-20) |
419 |
|
35. |
Loyola Marymount (32-24) |
417 |
|
36. |
Arkansas (40-25) |
414 |
|
37. |
Maryland (40-23) |
412 |
|
38. |
Nebraska (41-21) |
411 |
|
39. |
U.C. Irvine (41-25) |
409 |
|
40. |
Illinois (32-21) |
405 |
|
Other Teams Receiving Votes: Oregon St. (49-15), San Diego St. (42-21), Louisiana-Lafayette (58-10), Kentucky (37-25), Washington (41-17-1), Mississippi (48-21), Southern California (29-24), Alabama (37-24), Texas A&M (36-26), Arizona (22-33), New Mexico (37-20), Nevada-Las Vegas (36-25), Dallas Baptist (40-21), Indiana St. (35-18), Sacramento St. (40-24), Troy (25-32), Texas St. (30-28), Pepperdine (43-18), Grand Canyon (30-23), Miami, Ohio (30-27), Southern Mississippi (35-25), Florida International (36-20), Indiana (44-15), Sam Houston St. (43-19), Michigan (30-29-1), Central Florida (36-23), Florida Gulf Coast (39-22), Stony Brook (35-18), St. Louis (34-21-1), Seton Hall (39-15), Creighton (32-17-1), Campbell (41-21), South Alabama (22-33), Winthrop (27-30), Coastal Carolina (24-33), William & Mary (34-22), Wright St. (35-22), Central Michigan (35-23), Bryant (42-16), S.E. Missouri St. (37-20), Tennessee Tech. (40-19), Mercer (38-17), Samford (35-25), Western Carolina (37-18), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (31-27), Southeastern Louisiana (38-25). |
||
