USI is ranked NUMBER ONE in preseason poll
Baseball | Ray Simmons, USI Athletic Communications
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The NCAA Division II
defending national champion University of
Southern Indiana baseball team
is ranked NUMBER ONE in the Collegiate
Baseball Newspaper/NCAA Division II
Preseason Top 40 Poll. The number one
preseason ranking is the second time in
program history that USI has been placed
in the top slot to start the season.
USI opens the 2015 schedule February 13
when it visits second-ranked University of
Tampa for a three-game series in Tampa,
Florida. The 2015 Screaming Eagles'
schedule also includes 11th-ranked Quincy
University, 27th-ranked Trevecca Nazarene
University, and 28th-ranked Grand Valley
State University.
The Eagles, who won their second national title and their third Midwest Regional crown last year with a record of
49-13, are entering their ninth season under the direction of Head Coach Tracy Archuleta, a two-time NCAA II
Coach of the Year (2010 and 2014). Archuleta, who also was the GLVC Coach of the Year in 2014, has led the
Eagles to both of their NCAA II national championships and a 312-50 (.675) record during his first eight years.
On the field, USI returns first-team All-GLVC and Division II Baseball Championship Series Most Valuable
Player Matt Chavarria (Carlsbad, New Mexico), a senior shortstop/right-handed closer, and first team ABCA
Golden Glove honoree and first team All-GLVC Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana), a junior outfielder.
Chavarria, who had two saves and was the winning hurler in the national title game, led the GLVC and ranked fifth
nationally with 14 saves, while hitting .257 and driving in 28 RBIs. Kempf was second on the team with a .342
batting average, leading the team with 51 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, 21 doubles, four home runs, and 36 RBIs.