DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 17th year with its 2014 weekly surveys. Polls will be circulated from Feb. 17-June 26 (weekly through June 10) following the 68th annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., at TD Ameritade Park.
Louisiana-Lafayette is ranked No. 1 for the first time ever in the NCBWA survey and joins Virginia (eight weeks), Oregon State (four weeks - Feb. 17, May 5-12-19), Florida State (March 17), South Carolina (March 10), and Cal State Fullerton (preseason No. 1) as top of the pole sitters after 16 weeks of surveys in 2014. This tops last seasons five total teams at No. 1 during the entire January-June NCBWA compilations with six different top-ranked schools held that distinction. ULL also is the first Sun Belt Conference school ever to gain placement atop the rankings.
The poll voters come from 44 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation.
The eight No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Championships 64-team bracket are NCBWA No. 2 Oregon State as top seed, No. 10 Florida as second seed, No. 3 Virginia as third seed, No. 11 Indiana as fourth seed, No. 5 Florida State in the fifth slot, No. 1 Louisiana-Lafayette in sixth, No. 16 TCU at seventh, and No. 4 LSU as the eighth seeded squad in the bracket. All 16 regional hosts are among the Top 30 this week. Defending champion UCLA (25-30-1) did not make the 2014 field but was ranked as high as No. 9 in the NCBWA preseason Top 35.
This week's poll has representation by a season-tying-most 13 different conferences among the 302 baseball-playing schools in the 2014 NCAA Division I ranks, and there have been 18 circuits and independents in the surveys this season. Last year there were 12 different DI loops in at least one set of rankings after a record 22 different leagues (from 30 in NCAA Division I) were rated among the Top 30 polls in 2012. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to www.ncbwa.com.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Dick Howser Trophy, Regional Players of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors Division I Players of the Week, the Stopper of the Year, and publication and writing contests.