The Baseball Observer Jan-Feb 2017 vol 8 | Page 46

The Baseball Observer - Jan/ Feb 2017

NCAA DII TEAMS TO WATCH

The Collegiate Baseball News has Nova Southeastern #1 and University of Tampa #2 (no surprise). The following are a few others to keep an eye on.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The defending MIAA Regular Season, Tournament,

and Central Region

Champion Central

Missouri baseball team

will begin the 2017

season ranked

No. 3 as the

American Baseball

Coaches Association

(ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper preseason poll was announced.

UCM was 43-15 a season ago, including a 32-7 mark in MIAA play as the Mules claimed the conference's regular season championship by five games. The Mules went on to capture the MIAA Tournament title before sweeping through the Central Region Tournament en route to their 17th regional crown in program history. The Mules advanced to the Division II World Series where they finished in a tie for fifth place.

Defending national champion Nova Southeastern was ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, garnering 629 points. Tampa was second with 626 points with the Mules totaling 622 points. Southern New Hampshire was fourth with Millersville rounding out the top five.

The Mules open their 2017 campaign Feb. 3-5 in Millington, Tenn. against North Alabama.

SAN ANGELO – With opening day for the Rams less than two months

away, the Angelo State

baseball team was

ranked No. 8 in the

Collegiate Baseball

D2 Preseason Poll.

After once again setting high marks for the program last season with its second consecutive and third overall trip to the NCAA D2 College World Series, ASU will be returning the majority of its 2016 roster. The Rams completed its 2016 season claiming the Lone Star Conference regular season title and the NCAA DII South Central Regional title with a record of 39-22, 25-10 LSC. This

NCAA DII South Central Regional title with a record of 39-22, 25-10 LSC. This marked the third time it claimed the Lone Star Conference regular season title and the NCAA DII Regional championship since the program's inception in 2005. The Rams will be looking to returning players such as Matt Shannon, Jay Gonzales, Matt Waller, Tyler Coolbaugh, and Elias Aguirre amongst several others to lead them into the 2017 season.

Angelo State will open its season with a three game home series against Regis University with the first pitch scheduled to take place on Friday, February 3 at 3 p.m.

#3

Central

Missouri

Courtesy: ucmathletics.com

SAN ANGELO

#8

Courtesy: angelosports.com

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