Braves Jump To Fourth In Latest NCAA Southeast Region Rankings
INDIANAPOLIS – On the shoulders of a perfect week last week, including a 10-3 road rout of then-No. 11 Catawba on Thursday, the UNCP baseball team made a significant leap in the latest NCAA Southeast Region rankings on Wednesday, jumping two spots to fourth heading into next week's Peach Belt Conference Tournament.
The Braves (38-10) feasted on the misfortunes of others with the move. Catawba's home loss to the Black and Gold, as well as two more setbacks at Mount Olive, dropped the Indians four spots to No. 6 in this week's listing. Armstrong Atlantic, ranked fifth in last week's NCAA rankings, fell two spots to seventh in this week's ranking on the heels of three-straight losses to Georgia College. With the series sweep of AASU, the Bobcats moved from eighth to fifth in this week's listing.
Mount Olive (39-7) continues its perch as the region's top-ranked team, while Peach Belt Conference regular season champion Francis Marion climbed one spot to No. 2 in the latest ranking. Columbus State is third and Limestone rounds out this week's listing in eighth place.
The NCAA listing, unlike the weekly listing by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) is relied on heavily in selecting the 48 teams, as well as eight regional sites, that will comprise the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships next month. The top six teams from each region will compete, May 19-23, for a chance to advance to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships, May 28-June 4, in Cary.
The Braves will begin its road in the postseason on Sunday when they suit up to battle Georgia College (35-15) in the opening round of the 2011 PBC Tournament. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. at Golden Park in Columbus, Ga.
| Ranking/Region | Team | Overall Record | In-Region Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATLANTIC | |||
| 1 | Millersville | 37-8 | 36-6 |
| 2 | Mercyhurst | 34-10 | 30-8 |
| 3 | Seton Hill | 29-10 | 28-6 |
| 4 | Slippery Rock | 27-17 | 27-15 |
| 5 | California (Pa.) | 28-16 | 28-15 |
| 6 | Mansfield | 20-15 | 19-15 |
| 7 | East Stroudsburg | 22-11 | 21-10 |
| 8 | Davis & Elkins | 28-13 | 24-12 |
| CENTRAL | |||
| 1 | St. Cloud State | 33-8 | 28-6 |
| 2 | Minnesota State Mankato | 33-8 | 29-5 |
| 3 | Mesa State | 27-17 | 27-17 |
| 4 | Nebraska-Kearney | 30-13 | 30-12 |
| 5 | Winona State | 25-10 | 23-6 |
| 6 | Metro State | 28-12 | 28-12 |
| 7 | Wayne State (Neb.) | 20-16 | 17-13 |
| 8 | Augustana (S.D.) | 23-17 | 20-12 |
| EAST | |||
| 1 | Southern Connecticut State | 33-4-1 | 33-4-1 |
| 2 | Wilmington (Del.) | 32-8 | 26-8 |
| 3 | Adelphi | 29-11-2 | 28-11-2 |
| 4 | Franklin Pierce | 33-10 | 32-9 |
| 5 | Massachusetts-Lowell | 33-8 | 32-7 |
| 6 | New Haven | 24-15 | 23-14 |
| 7 | Stonehill | 28-15 | 26-14 |
| 8 | Molloy | 28-17 | 28-16 |
| MIDWEST | |||
| 1 | Grand Valley State | 39-3 | 36-2 |
| 2 | Southern Indiana | 30-15 | 24-9 |
| 3 | Bellarmine | 25-19 | 25-16 |
| 4 | Quincy | 28-16 | 25-8 |
| 5 | Wayne State (Michigan) | 26-15 | 24-13 |
| 6 | Ashland | 27-18 | 22-16 |
| 7 | Missouri S&T | 24-15 | 24-15 |
| 8 | Northern Kentucky | 26-17 | 24-15 |
| SOUTH | |||
| 1 | West Florida | 42-6 | 37-6 |
| 2 | Barry | 35-15 | 32-13 |
| 3 | North Alabama | 34-10 | 26-10 |
| 4 | Southern Arkansas | 32-13 | 27-10 |
| 5 | Nova Southeastern | 32-14 | 26-14 |
| 6 | Tampa | 32-15 | 24-12 |
| 7 | Delta State | 29-17 | 25-16 |
| 8 | Harding | 37-10 | 26-9 |
| 9 | Florida Southern | 27-14 | 15-13 |
| 10 | Lynn | 24-22 | 15-16 |
| SOUTHEAST | |||
| 1 | Mount Olive | 39-7 | 37-5 |
| 2 | Francis Marion | 35-12 | 30-12 |
| 3 | Columbus State | 32-15 | 29-14 |
| 4 | UNC Pembroke | 38-10 | 33-10 |
| 5 | Georgia College | 35-15 | 31-14 |
| 6 | Catawba | 40-13 | 40-13 |
| 7 | Armstrong Atlantic State | 33-15 | 19-13 |
| 8 | Limestone | 34-18 | 33-15 |
| SOUTH CENTRAL | |||
| 1 | St. Mary's (Texas) | 42-8 | 40-8 |
| 2 | Central Missouri | 38-8 | 38-8 |
| 3 | Emporia State | 37-8 | 36-8 |
| 4 | Tarleton State | 35-11 | 29-11 |
| 5 | Incarnate Word | 33-14 | 32-13 |
| 6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State | 29-16 | 28-14 |
| 7 | Cameron | 30-14 | 26-12 |
| 8 | Nebraska-Omaha | 30-16 | 30-16 |
| WEST | |||
| 1 | UC San Diego | 34-12 | 34-12 |
| 2 | Western Oregon | 29-11 | 26-10 |
| 3 | Cal State Chico | 27-14 | 25-14 |
| 4 | Cal Poly Pomona | 28-17 | 25-16 |
| 5 | Cal State San Bernardino | 22-18 | 21-16 |
| 6 | Sonoma State | 26-15 | 23-15 |
| 7 | Dixie State | 32-15 | 27-14 |
| 8 | Northwest Nazarene | 30-14 | 30-14 |
