DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 20th year with its 2017 weekly surveys. Polls will be circulated from Feb. 20-June 30 (weekly through June 5) following the 71st annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., at TD Ameritrade Park.
Oregon State, displaying a 49-4 record, took over the top spot on March 27 and has stayed there for 10 straight weeks. North Carolina stays at No. 2, LSU moves up three spots to take the No. 3 position, Florida checks in at No. 4 and Louisville stays at No. 5. Nine teams from last weeks top-10 return this week.
The eight No. 1 seeds in the 17 NCAA Championships 64-team bracket are NCBWA poll No. 1 Oregon State as top seed, No. 2 North Carolina as the second seed, No. 3 LSU as the No. 4 seed, No. 4 Florida as the three seed, No. 6 Texas Tech in the fifth slot, No. 7 TCU in sixth, No. 5 Louisville at seventh, and No. 9 Stanford as the NCAA·s eighth seeded squad in the bracket. All 16 NCAA Regional hosts are among the NCBWA Top 30 this week.
The current survey has representation by 11 different conferences (12 for the season) among the 300 baseball-playing schools in the 2017 NCAA Division I ranks. The rankings of 2012 had a NCBWA-poll record 22 different DI conferences and independents rated at least one week while 16 separate circuits had team rankings in '16. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to ncbwa.com.
The 2017 poll voters come from 40 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation.
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.