Athletics - Lewis-Clark State

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – One of the most dominant baseball programs is back to being No. 1. Lewis-Clark State College, which owns an NAIA-record 16 World Series titles, claimed the No. 1 ranking in the first edition of the 2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced by the NAIA on Tuesday. The Warriors boast baseball’s best winning percentage (.923) this year holding a 24-2 record.

With 644 total points and 14 of the possible 23 first-place votes, Lewis-Clark State is the top-ranked squad for the first time since the 2009 Preseason Top 25 poll (Nov. 11, 2008). Lewis-Clark State has won seven straight games, including a three-game sweep of then-No. 13 British Columbia over the weekend. Since 2000, Lewis-Clark State has totaled 47 No. 1 rankings, which is the most of any program during that time span.

The defending national runner-up, Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.), climbs two spots to No. 2. The Hornets, a school that appeared in the Fab Four of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship last week, posted 637 total points, along with seven first-place nods. With a 33-3 overall record this year, Southern Poly State sits in its highest position in the poll dating back to 2000.

Staying at the No. 3 position is Oklahoma City. The Stars, with 597 total points, have now been ranked in the top three in the last 11 straight polls. Oklahoma City has won nine consecutive games to improve to 26-6 on the year. During the current winning streak, the Stars have averaged 12.7 runs per game.

No. 4 Cumberland (Tenn.) vaulted 15 spots this week. The TranSouth Athletic Conference member tallied 593 points and one first-place vote. The Bulldogs are 12-2 in their last 14 games.

No. 5 California Baptist, a school not ranked in the Top 25 in the preseason, holds 571 total points and the remaining first-place vote. The Lancers have won 14 of their last 16 games. This position is the first ranking for California Baptist since Nov. 14, 2007 in the 2008 Preseason Poll.

The Golden State Athletic Conference leads all conferences and unaffiliated groupings with four members in the Top 25, California Baptist, No. 6 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 12 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) and No. 20 Fresno Pacific (Calif.). The Southern States Athletic Conference and the TranSouth Athletic Conference each claim three schools apiece on the list.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the 25 conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The second regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on April 6.

The Warriors resume action on Wednesday to start a four-game, three-day series with Azusa Pacific. The two meet in single games at 4 p.m. (note time change) on Wednesday and Thursday, and then in a noon doubleheader on Friday.

NOTES:
Eleven teams are newcomers to the Top 25 poll since the Preseason Top 25 (Nov. 17)… Since records go back to the 200 season, these programs are appearing in the Top 25 for the first time: No. 6 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 13 Bethel (Tenn.), No. 21 York (Neb.) and No. 25 Milligan (Tenn.)… No. 2 Southern Poly State (Ga.) has now held a top-10 ranking in each of the last 10 polls… No. 1 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) has not been ranked lower than No. 10 going all the way back to the final poll of the 1989 regular season… Since 2000, Lewis-Clark State has been No. 1 a total of 47 times, which includes a stretch of 25 straight weeks spanning the 2006-2008 seasons.

2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (March 30)

RANK

LAST WEEK^

SCHOOL (1^st PLACE VOTES)

2010 RECORD*

TOTAL POINTS

1

6

Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) (14)

24-2

644

2

4

Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.) (7)

33-3

637

3

3

Oklahoma City University

26-6

597

4

19

Cumberland University (Tenn.) (1)

25-6

593

5

RV

California Baptist University (1)

28-7

571

6

NR

Vanguard University (Calif.)

25-6

507

7

1

Lubbock Christian University (Texas)

24-9

504

8

5

Lee University (Tenn.)

26-8

501

9

13

University of British Columbia

20-6

468

10

7

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (Fla.)

24-11

428

11

10

Bellevue University (Neb.)

16-6

399

12

2

Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)

21-8-1

392

13

NR

Bethel University (Tenn.)

19-2-1

383

14

RV

University of Rio Grande (Ohio)

27-4

377

15

21

Madonna University (Mich.)

16-3

361

16

NR

Belhaven University (Miss.)

26-9

351

17

16

Union College (Ky.)

21-6

342

18

18

Louisiana State University-Shreveport

23-8

270

19

RV

Union University (Tenn.)

21-5

265

20

9

Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)

19-7

212

21

NR

York College (Neb.)

25-6

163

22

NR

Avila University (Mo.)

18-7

162

23

NR

Taylor University (Ind.)

18-4

160

24

NR

Brewton-Parker College (Ga.)

25-10

134

25

NR

Milligan College (Tenn.)

19-8

126

Others receiving votes:

Texas Wesleyan University 105; Wayland Baptist University (Texas) 85; Lambuth University (Tenn.) 81; Malone University (Ohio) 80; Tennessee Wesleyan College 79; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 68; Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) 45; Indiana University Southeast 40; Oklahoma Baptist University 37; Jamestown College (N.D.) 37; Spring Arbor University (Mich.) 28; College of Idaho 27; William Woods University (Mo.) 19; Northwood University (Texas) 17; Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) 15; Thomas University (Ga.) 8; William Jewell College (Mo.) 7; University of South Carolina - Beaufort 6; Faulkner University (Ala.) 5; Biola University (Calif.) 5; Grand View University (Iowa) 1; Lyon College (Ark.) 1; Judson University (Ill.) 1

^ Rating from the 2010 Preseason Top 25 poll (Nov. 17, 2009)

* Record from 2010 season, as submitted by the conference rater and through games played on March 28.