Wednesday, June 4, 2008

 

TUSCULUM FINISHES 30TH IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL POLL

 

                TUCSON, Ariz. --- For a fourth straight season, the Tusculum College baseball team has ended the season nationally ranked.  The Pioneers are listed 30th in the country in the final 2008 Collegiate Baseball Division II Coaches’ Poll after posting a 41-15 overall record.

                                                   

                Tusculum closed out the season on a 17-4 run, including four in a row to win the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, earning TC its second straight trip to the NCAA II Tournament and fourth in the last six years.

 

                Mount Olive College claimed the top spot in the final poll by winning its first-ever national championship.  The Trojans posted an impressive 58-6 record, with one of those six defeats coming to Tusculum in the season-opening series in February.  Ouachita Baptist finished second with a 50-16 record, while Sonoma State claimed the No. 3 spot.  Central Missouri State is fourth, followed by Delta State, Cal State Chico, Columbus State, Nebraska-Omaha, Emporia State and Tampa to round out the top 10.

 

                USC Aiken is 11th, while Southern Arkansas and Ashland tied for 12th.  Abilene Christian is 14th, followed by UC San Diego, Valdosta State, Catawba, Franklin Pierce, West Alabama, North Georgia, Shippensburg, St. Joseph’s (Ind.), Wayne State (Mich.), Wayne State (Neb.), West Chester, Western Oregon, Francis Marion, Bryant, Carson-Newman, Tusculum, St. Edward’s and Cal State Stanislaus.

 

                In each of the last four nationally-ranked seasons, the Pioneers finished with over 40 wins.

 

- TC -

 

2008 Collegiate Baseball Division II Coaches’ Poll (Final)

Rk.

Team

Record

Pts.

Prv.

1

Mount Olive

58-6

480

1

2

Ouachita Baptist

50-16

464

4

3

Sonoma State

52-15

448

2

4

Central Missouri State

47-17

432

7

5

Delta State

48-11

408

5

6

Cal State Chico

42-17

390

6

7

Columbus State

43-19

384

9

8

Nebraska-Omaha

45-13

360

8

9

Emporia State

50-10

348

10

10

Tampa

42-11-1

342

3

11

USC Aiken

47-17

312

11

12

Southern Arkansas

46-12

302

12

 

Ashland

40-18

302

T16

14

Abilene Christian

44-17

262

14

15

UC San Diego

43-18

260

13

16

Valdosta State

36-18-1

230

18

17

Catawba

43-18

220

T16

18

Franklin Pierce

43-15

204

15

19

West Alabama

45-13

200

20

20

North Georgia

41-21

190

19

21

Shippensburg

39-26

180

21

22

St. Joseph’s (Ind.)

46-18

150

23

23

Wayne State (Mich.)

34-19

138

22

24

Wayne State (Neb.)

40-13

126

25

25

West Chester

45-16

100

24

26

Western Oregon

39-19

70

26

27

Francis Marion

34-20

38

28

28

Bryant

43-21

28

27

29

Carson-Newman

43-18

20

29

30

TUSCULUM

41-15

18

T30

 

St. Edward’s (Texas)

40-16

18

T30

 

Cal State Stanislaus

37-23

18

T30

Others Receiving Votes: Pittsburgh-Johnstown 10, West Virginia State 10, Mesa State 6, Concord 6, Bellarmine 6, Kutztown 4, Belmont Abbey 4, Grand Valley State 4, Northern Kentucky 2, Erskine 2, Southern Indiana 2, Southern Connecticut State 2, Montevallo 2, GC&SU 1, UNC Pembroke 1, Caldwell 1, Nebraska-Kearney 1, Lynn 1, Florida Tech 1, Florida Southern 1, Nova Southeastern 1, Angelo State 1, Southeastern Oklahoma 1, Incarnate Word , St. Mary's (Texas) 1, Metro State 1.

 

Tusculum Opponents in Italics