DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 18th year with its 2015 weekly surveys. Polls will be circulated from Feb. 16-June 25 (weekly through June 10) following the 69th annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., at TD Ameritade Park.
LSU remains No. 1 nationally for the seventh consecutive week after its May 25-June 2 showing. There have been five teams to date in the top spot with Vanderbilt (preseason No. 1, March 30-April 6), Virginia (Feb. 16-23-March 2-9), TCU (March 16), LSU (March 23, April 20-27-May 4-25-June 3), and Texas A&M (April 13) previously have holding the top positions in the 2015 surveys. The poll voters come from 42 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation.
The five different teams at No. 1 in 2015 equal the total from the 2013 season, and there were six different top-ranked squads in 2014.
The current survey has representation by 13 different conferences among the 302 baseball-playing schools in the 2015 NCAA Division I ranks. There have been 16 conferences with Top 30 rated teams in 15. The rankings of 2012 had a NCBWA-poll record 22 different DI conferences and independents rated at least one week while 19 separate circuits had team rankings in '14.
The NCBWA also will join the Dick Howser Trophy committee and several college baseball dignitaries on Saturday, June 3, for a 10 a.m. (CDT) news conference for the Omaha national news conference the 2015 Dick Howser Trophy recipient as well as the 2015 NCBWA Coach of the Year. The conference will take place in the TD Ameritrade Park media room and is followed by the opening game of the CWS at 2 p.m. (CDT).
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.