The Baseball Observer Feb 2015 vol 1 | Page 48

Griffins Fourth in Collegiate Baseball DII Preseason Poll Source: Seton Hill Athletics After reaching the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championships last season, the Griffin baseball team begins the 2015 season fourth in the Collegiate Baseball 2015 NCAA Division II Preseason Poll. It's the highest preseason ranking for the Griffin program. Last season the Griffins earned their first trip to the NCAA Baseball National Championships after their fifth straight trip to the NCAA Atlantic Regional. The Griffins finished the season with a 41-17 overall record after sweeping thru the Atlantic Regional. Seton Hill defeated Minnesota State in the first round of the NCAA Championships before dropping two straight to be eliminated from the tourney. Defending national champion Southern Indiana opens the season as the number one team in the country. Tampa and Lander, who both played in the National Championships with the Griffins in Cary last season are second and third in the poll. Colorado Mesa rounds out the top five. Other atlantic regional teams in the rankings are Mercyhurst at #25 and Millersville at #32. Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, Shepherd, California, Winston Salem State, Kutztown and West Chester are all receiving votes in the poll. Seton Hill opens their 2015 season with a three game set at Coker in Hartsville, SC the weekend of Feb 21-22. SHU will then take on Winston Salem State in a three game set the following weekend in North Carolina. The Griffins will then head to Clearwater, FL for their spring trip where they will meet Lake Erie (who is receiving votes), Tiffin, Mansfield and Saginaw Valley State. PSAC West play opens the weekend of March 14-15 when the Griffins will take on California (PA). SHU will host Shepherd in a non conference doubleheader on April 7th and close out the regular season with a four game PSAC West set against #25 Mercyhurst . Columbus State Cougar Baseball Voted 12th in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll Source: Columbus State Athletics Tuscon, Ariz. – Following a 40-17 campaign in 2014, the Columbus State University baseball team earned a 12th-place ranking in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper preseason poll. The Cougars were one of four Peach Belt Conference teams to appear in the poll, led by Lander at No. 3. USC Aiken (No. 14) and Georgia College (No. 26) were each inside the top 40, while Armstrong was the top team also receiving votes. Columbus State won 40 games last season for the first time since 2010, and finished second in the PBC with a 23-7 record. The Cougars came up one game short of the College World Series, falling to Lander in the winner-take-all game of the Southeast Regional. CSU returns all but two players from the 2014 squad, including eight of nine position starters. The Cougars return 13 of 14 pitchers from a staff that led the conference with a 3.89 earned run average. The Cougars have also added seven newcomers for 2015. Columbus State opens the 2015 season on Sunday, February 1 with a home doubleheader against West Alabama starting at 1:00 p.m. at Ragsdale Field.