Monday, May 5, 2008

TUSCULUM LISTED SECOND IN NCBWA REGION POLL

WINTER PARK, Fla. --- For a third consecutive week, the Tusculum College baseball team is listed second in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association’s Division II South Region Poll announced officials Monday.

The Pioneers (40-13) went 2-0 last week, sweeping a doubleheader against sixth-ranked (NAIA) University of the Cumberlands. With the victory, Tusculum clinches its fourth straight 40-win season.

The top four in the region remains the same for a fourth straight week. Defending national champion Tampa (38-9-1) is the top ranked team in the region, followed by Tusculum, Catawba (38-16) and Carson-Newman (41-16). Nova Southeastern (30-19) moves up one spot and is fifth in the region, while Florida Southern (29-21) and Florida Tech (33-17-1) are tied for sixth. Lynn (32-17) dropped three spots to eighth, followed by Barry (32-19) and Stillman (26-26).

Tusculum has already clinched one of the six bids to next week’s NCAA II Tournament, by winning the South Atlantic Conference Tournament.  Stillman has also punched its ticket for the regional, winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.  The regular season champion of the Sunshine State Conference will also earn an automatic bid.  Three teams will also receive at-large berths.

The Pioneers will be making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years.

The NCBWA South Region Poll is not used for selection purposes or seeding for the NCAA II Tournament.

- TC -

NCBWA Division II South Region Baseball Poll
Rk.	Team	Prv.
1	Tampa	1
2	TUSCULUM	2
3	Catawba	3
4	Carson-Newman	4
5	Nova Southeastern	6
6	Florida Southern	8
	Florida Tech	7
8	Lynn	5
9	Barry	9
10	Stillman	10
Others Receiving Votes: Albany State 1, Rollins 1 Tusculum Opponents in Italics