Dec. 21, 2015

 

Florida Tops Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll

 

Florida is No. 1 according to Collegiate Baseball in the first preseason poll prior to the 2016 season.

 

The Gators went 52-18 a season ago and were the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida reached the College World Series and finished in a tie for third. The Gators lost a pair of one-run decisions in three meetings against eventual national champion Virginia during bracket play in Omaha.

 

Florida is one of five SEC schools ranked in the Top 11. Vanderbilt is No. 3, Texas A&M is No. 5, LSU is No. 7 and Mississippi State is No. 11. The Commodores won the national championship in 2014 and finished second in 2015.

 

Virginia is No. 9 and is one of three ACC teams in the Top 10. Louisville is No. 2 and Miami (Fla.) is No. 4.

 

There are four Pac-12 teams in the Top 14. Oregon State is No. 8, UCLA is No. 10, California is No. 13 and Oregon is No. 14.

 

UL Lafayette of the Sun Belt is sixth.

 

The regular season begins on Friday, Feb. 19.

 

2016 COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER PRESEASON POLL

Rank    Team (2015 Final Record)

1.         Florida (52-18)

2.         Louisville (47-18)        

3.         Vanderbilt (51-21)       

4.         Miami (Fla.) (50-17)      

5.         Texas A&M (50-14)      

6.         UL Lafayette (42-23)

7.         LSU (54-12)   

8.         Oregon State (39-18-1)  

9.         Virginia (44-24)           

10.       UCLA (45-16)  

11.       Mississippi State (24-30) 

12.       Cal State Fullerton (39-25)

13.       California (36-21)        

14.       Oregon (38-25)           

15.       TCU (51-15)           

16.       Florida State (44-21)       

17.       Missouri State (49-12)    

18.       Houston (43-20)         

19.       Tulane (35-25)

20.       Rice (37-22)    

21.       Georgia Tech (32-23)  

22.       North Carolina (34-24)

23.       Michigan (39-25)         

24.       Arkansas (40-25)        

25.       Oklahoma State (38-20)  

26.       Stony Brook (35-16-1)

27.       Notre Dame (37-23)   

28.       Maryland (42-24)         

29.       Kentucky (30-25)        

30.       Pepperdine (32-29)     

31.       Dallas Baptist (46-15)  

32.       College of Charleston (45-15)

33.       Coastal Carolina (39-21)          

34.       Missouri (30-28)          

35.       South Carolina (32-25)

36.       San Diego State (41-23) 

37.       South Alabama (37-20)

38.       Winthrop (40-19)        

39.       Texas Tech (31-24)    

40.       Texas (30-27)