DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continued its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 20th year with its 2017 weekly surveys. This season's polls have been circulated from Feb. 20-June 28/29 following the 71st annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., as the Florida Gators (52-19) captured the 2017 NCAA championship and top spot in the final survey.
Florida, ranked No. 1 for the first time this season and winner of its first NCAA baseball title in 103 seasons at the university, was listed No. 2 in the 2017 NCBWA preseason poll under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan. TCU held down the top position for three consecutive weeks, including the preseason survey, before then-15-0 Louisville of the Atlantic Coast Conference grabbed No. 1 in the March 13 and 20 surveys. Oregon State became the third team to hold down No. 1 and held that position for the next 11 weeks prior to the CWS.
Florida is the seventh different school to capture the NCAA Division I flag since the 2010 season. After LSU in 2009, South Carolina (2010 and '11), Arizona (2012), UCLA (2013), Vanderbilt (2014), Virginia (2015), and Coastal Carolina (2016) won in Omaha. It was the initial NCAA diamond title for the last five winners.
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 2017 NCAA Division I ranks, and 13 total DI circuits were ranked in at least one '17 NCBWA Top 30/35.
The preseason 2018 NCBWA DI Top 35 poll will be released in January 2018 after the 21st annual pre-'18 NCBWA All-America team is denoted. 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.