DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 24th year with its 2021 weekly surveys, and Arkansas is No. 1 for the 2021-high 10th week and season-best seventh week in a row this spring.
Southeastern Conference schools · Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt · also have topped each of the NCBWA Top 30 polls in '21.
Several of these ranked schools will attempt to top off their regular-season titles with conference tourney championships this week, and 19 of the 20 schools in the poll are among the finalists for NCAA Regional hosting bids announced Sunday.
In the meantime, Tennessee replaced last week's No. 4 Texas Tech, while the Red Raiders dropped one place to No. 5. Arizona jumped from No. 8 to 7, and Notre Dame climbed from No. 9 to 8. Ole Miss also made a move from No. 13 to 10.
Virtually every team in the Top 30 will be in the running for one of the 64 NCAA Regional bids, denoted Monday, May 31, in an ESPN national telecast. There are 30 automatic berths for conference winners, and 34 at-large entries.
There have been 14 conferences (a season-high 11 this week) represented in the first 15 standings of 2021, and there were 15 different conferences included in the COVID-19 abbreviated NCBWA polls in 2020.
The 2021 poll voters come from among 33 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. The '21 season features 302 NCAA Division I baseball-playing schools and 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.