Vanderbilt, the NCAA DEFENDING CHAMPIONS (go ahead. Type it out yourself. Feels great), earned their first #1 ranking of the early preseason on Monday. Collegiate Baseball named the Commodores America's team to beat for 2015.
The 'Dores will be without standouts like Tyler Beede, Adam Ravenelle, Vince Conde, and the Miller brothers (not actual brothers), but they'll still trot out one of the fiercest rotations in the country behind All-Americans Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler. Two more Louisville Slugger AA honorees - shortstop Dansby Swanson and outfielder Bryan Reynolds - will provide balance on the other side of the ball for Tim Corbin's club.
In all, the SEC was responsible for three out of the top six team in Collegiate Baseball's rankings. LSU (#4) and Florida (#6) will help make the conference's season-ending tournament in Hoover, AL appointment watching once again. Mississippi State (#20), South Carolina (#21), Tennessee (#33), and Arkansas (#36) rounded out the league's presence on the list. In all, the Commodores are scheduled to face seven different top 40 teams this spring. Here are the full rankings:
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).
Source: Collegiate Baseball |