ABILENE – Two-time defending Lone Star Conference champion ACU has been ranked No. 6 in the nation in the
Collegiate Baseball magazine NCAA Division II pre-season poll, which was released Monday.
The Wildcats – who finished 50-15 last season to record the first 50-win season in program history – lost to Central Missouri in the championship game of the NCAA Division II South Central Region tournament in Warrensburg, Mo.
ACU head coach
Britt Bonneau's squad returns all-America performers in centerfielder
Aaron Oliver and pitcher / designated hitter Will Calhoun as well as third baseman
Cameron Watten, outfielder
Cameron Bankston, catchers
Ian Tomkins and
Abe Williams, pitchers
Aaron Lambrix,
Zach Sneed,
Chay Lytle Kevin Justice and others in
Andrew Yacek,
Sky Valenzuela and
Ryan Luckie.
Defending national champion Southern Indiana will open the season ranked No. 1 after posting a 52-14 record in 2010. UC-San Diego (54-8 in 2010) is ranked No. 2, followed by Central Missouri at No. 3, Georgia College and State at No. 4 and Tampa (Fla.) at No. 5.
ACU leads the second 10 at No. 6 in the poll, followed by Mount Olive (N.C.) at No. 7, Florida Southern at No. 8, Kutztown (Pa.) at No. 9 and Franklin Pierce (N.H.) at No. 10.
Other teams from the South Central Region ranked in the pre-season poll are Emporia State (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) at No. 13, St. Mary's (Heartland Conference) at No. 18, Incarnate Word (LSC) at No. 22), and Southeastern Oklahoma State (LSC) at No. 39.
