The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team kept its No. 1 spot in the second NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 poll by claiming 23 of the 24 first-place votes, the NAIA announced on Tuesday.
LCSC has won 11 straight games and stand 28-2 overall. During the win streak, the Warriors are averaging 7.8 runs per game. Overall, the Warrior pitching staff is tops in the NAIA in ERA (2.55) while the hitters are 10th in hits per game (11.3).
The Warriors have a chance to tie their all-time best start after 32 games this weekend when they play Willamette in a doubleheader in Salem, Ore., on Saturday starting at noon. A sweep would give the Warriors a 30-2 mark, which would tie their best start with two losses. The two teams also meet in a single game on Sunday.
LCSC drew 684 out of 685 points in the poll with Southern Polytechnic State of Georgia earning the other first-place vote. Southern Polytechnic State fell from No. 2 to No. 4 in this week’s poll and has 634 points overall. The team has the most wins in the NAIA this season with a 36-5 record.
No. 2 Oklahoma City edged closer to the top spot, moving up one position. The Stars, who posted 646 total points, are 30-6 on the year and hold a 13-game winning streak. Behind the nation’s top-scoring offense (10.2 runs per game), Oklahoma City is first in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 14-1 mark.
Also moving up one spot is No. 3 Cumberland (Tenn.). One week after one of the biggest moves at 15 spots, the Bulldogs secured 636 total points this week. A team with a 28-7 record, Cumberland recently took two-of-three from conference rival and No. 13 Bethel (Tenn.) last week.
California Baptist holds steady at No. 5 for the second straight week. The Lancers own a high ranking, just weeks after not being mentioned in the Preseason Top 25 Poll (Nov. 17). California Baptist tallied 578 total points. The Lancers are 28-9 on the year after dropping a twinbill against NCAA Division II Dixie State (Utah).
The Golden State Athletic Conference leads all conferences and unaffiliated groupings with four members in the Top 25, California Baptist, No. 9 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 12 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) and No. 21 Fresno Pacific (Calif.). The Southern States Athletic Conference and the TranSouth Athletic Conference each claim three schools apiece on the list.
No. 23 College of Idaho is ranked for the first time this year with the last mention coming on April 7, 2009 (No. 23). No. 24 (tie) Tennessee Wesleyan is back after sitting out for one week.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the 25 conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The third regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on April 13.
2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (April 6)
|
RANK
|
LAST WEEK
|
SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES)
|
2010 RECORD*
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
1
|
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) (23)
|
28-2
|
684
|
|
2
|
3
|
Oklahoma City University
|
30-6
|
646
|
|
3
|
4
|
Cumberland University (Tenn.)
|
28-7
|
636
|
|
4
|
2
|
Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.) (1)
|
36-5
|
634
|
|
5
|
5
|
California Baptist University
|
28-9
|
578
|
|
6
|
9
|
University of British Columbia
|
25-6
|
568
|
|
7
|
8
|
Lee University (Tenn.)
|
29-9
|
549
|
|
8
|
7
|
Lubbock Christian University (Texas)
|
26-10
|
523
|
|
9
|
6
|
Vanguard University (Calif.)
|
25-6
|
522
|
|
10
|
11
|
Bellevue University (Neb.)
|
20-6
|
470
|
|
11
|
10
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
|
26-13
|
439
|
|
12
|
12
|
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
|
25-8-1
|
437
|
|
13
|
13
|
Bethel University (Tenn.)
|
22-4-1
|
405
|
|
14
|
14
|
University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
|
33-4
|
402
|
|
15
|
16
|
Belhaven University (Miss.)
|
27-10
|
384
|
|
16
|
18
|
Louisiana State University-Shreveport
|
28-8
|
339
|
|
17
|
19
|
Union University (Tenn.)
|
24-7
|
302
|
|
18
|
15
|
Madonna University (Mich.)
|
20-5
|
271
|
|
19
|
21
|
York College (Neb.)
|
26-6
|
261
|
|
20
|
25
|
Milligan College (Tenn.)
|
23-10
|
228
|
|
21
|
20
|
Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)
|
20-8
|
208
|
|
22
|
22
|
Avila University (Mo.)
|
22-9
|
193
|
|
23
|
RV
|
College of Idaho
|
23-9
|
172
|
|
T24
|
24
|
Brewton-Parker College (Ga.)
|
28-12
|
128
|
|
T24
|
RV
|
Tennessee Wesleyan College
|
26-10
|
128
|
Others receiving votes:
Missouri Baptist University 122; Wayland Baptist University (Texas) 97; Jamestown College (N.D.) 90; Taylor University (Ind.) 73; Malone University (Ohio) 61; Lambuth University (Tenn.) 53; Union College (Ky.) 43; University of South Carolina - Beaufort (SC) 43; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 41; Texas Wesleyan University 33; Oklahoma Baptist University 22; Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) 22; Judson University (Ill.) 12; Northwood University (Texas) 7; Thomas University (Ga.) 7; Biola University (Calif.) 6; Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) 4; Spring Arbor University (Mich.) 3; Faulkner University (Ala.) 1; William Jewell College (Mo.) 1; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 1; Mount Marty College (S.D.) 1; Concordia University (Calif.) 1
