DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continued its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 19th year with its 2016 weekly surveys. This season·s polls have been circulated from Feb. 22-July 1 following the 70th annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., as Coastal Carolina captured the 2016 NCAA championship and top spot in the final survey.
Coastal Carolina climbed to the top rung in the final Top 30 compilations for the first time this season while winning the first national championship in school history. The NCBWA poll actually featured Florida as No, 1 nationally 12 of the first 14 weeks of the 16 season. Texas A&M was No. 1 on June 8 for the third time in ·16 along with the March 28 and May 30 surveys. Mississippi State grabbed the No. 1 post on May 23 for the first time in ·16, and Miami (Fla.) was atop the poll for the initial time in school history on April 11.
Of the eight teams competing in the 70th Division I CWS, only Arizona (2012 winner) and Miami (Fla.) (2001) had taken the national title in the last 15 years. Virginia was the 2015 titlist, Vanderbilt won in 2014, and UCLA bagged its first diamond crown in 2013. Coastal Carolina became the first new contestant in the CWS to win on its initial trip since Minnesota in 1956.
The poll voters come from 40 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. The final poll has representation by 10 different conferences among the 299 baseball-playing schools in the 2016 NCAA Division I ranks, and 16 total circuits were ranked in at least one 16 NCBWA Top 30/35.
The preseason 2017 NCBWA DI Top 35 poll will be released in January 2017 after the 20th annual pre-2017 NCBWA All-America team is denoted. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to 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.