The rough start to the season for the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team carried over into the first regular-season NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 poll when the Warriors were ranked No. 16, the NAIA announced on Tuesday.
LCSC, which was ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll, was one of a handful of teams ranked in the Top 10 in the preseason to tumble. Preseason No. 1 and defending champion Cumberland fell 16 spots to No. 17, while Lubbock Christian, ranked No. 5, came in at 18. Another team previously ranked eighth fell out of the Top 25.
Tuesday's poll marked the first time the Warriors have not been ranked in the NAIA's Top 10 since the final poll of the 1989 season, according to the NAIA.
LCSC, 17-6 overall, has faced much adversity this season because of weather and the death of pitcher Zach Hull. Until last weekend's series with College of Idaho, the Warriors had not played a complete series since Feb. 22 because of weather or other issues. LCSC has had eight games either postponed or cancelled during the last month and also had two series change locations because of weather.
With the schedule inconsistencies, it has been hard for the Warriors to get into any type of flow and last week seemed almost like the team was opening the season, LCSC coach Gary Picone said.
LCSC is back in action this weekend for four games against Concordia University in Portland. The first game is Friday at 2 p.m., followed by a noon doubleheader on Saturday, and then a single game at noon on Sunday.
Oklahoma City leapfrogged from seventh in the preseason poll to the top spot on Tuesday and tallied 17 first-place votes for 583 points. Second-ranked Lee (Tenn.) and third-ranked Embry-Riddle (Fla.) were each awarded a pair of first-place nods to rack up 568 and 555 points, respectively. Previously unranked Oklahoma Baptist rocketed to No. 4 with 505 points and Brewton-Parker (Ga.) jumped to No. 5 with 498 points.
University of British Columbia is ranked No. 10.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences/independents/unaffiliated groups. The next poll will be announced on April 5.
|
RANK
|
LAST WEEK
|
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2011 RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
7
|
Oklahoma City University (17)
|
27-3
|
583
|
|
2
|
2
|
Lee University (Tenn.) (2)
|
29-6
|
568
|
|
3
|
6
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) (2)
|
29-7
|
555
|
|
4
|
RV
|
Oklahoma Baptist University
|
26-5
|
505
|
|
5
|
24
|
Brewton-Parker College (Ga.)
|
23-7
|
498
|
|
6
|
15
|
Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)
|
19-11
|
471
|
|
7
|
16
|
Union University (Tenn.)
|
24-5
|
461
|
|
8
|
13
|
Louisiana State University Shreveport
|
26-8
|
448
|
|
9
|
3
|
California Baptist University
|
26-9
|
435
|
|
10
|
20
|
Faulkner University (Ala.)
|
28-7
|
425
|
|
11
|
10
|
University of British Columbia
|
16-6
|
422
|
|
12
|
RV
|
Northwood University (Texas)
|
27-8
|
363
|
|
13
|
NR
|
Rogers State University (Okla.)
|
27-5
|
350
|
|
14
|
RV
|
Union College (Ky.)
|
24-7
|
330
|
|
15
|
9
|
Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)
|
23-9
|
299
|
|
16
|
4
|
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)
|
17-6
|
289
|
|
17
|
1
|
Cumberland University (Tenn.)
|
23-11
|
278
|
|
18
|
5
|
Lubbock Christian University (Texas)
|
22-8
|
244
|
|
19
|
RV
|
Biola University (Calif.)
|
17-10
|
236
|
|
20
|
NR
|
Missouri Baptist University
|
18-8
|
223
|
|
21
|
RV
|
Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
|
25-14
|
192
|
|
22
|
19
|
York College (Neb.)
|
18-8
|
188
|
|
23
|
NR
|
Southeastern University (Fla.)
|
27-13
|
169
|
|
24
|
RV
|
Tabor College (Kan.)
|
24-5
|
131
|
|
25
|
14
|
Tennessee Wesleyan College
|
21-12
|
115
|
Others receiving votes: Belhaven University (Miss.) 110; Davenport University (Mich.) 89; Judson University (Ill.) 86; Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) 70; University of Texas at Brownsville 67; Malone University (Ohio) 54; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 50; Shorter University (Ga.) 29; University of St. Francis (Ill.) 12; Point Park University (Pa.) 11; SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 9; Oklahoma Wesleyan University 5; Texas Wesleyan University 5; Jamestown College (N.D.) 4; Science and Arts of Oklahoma 4; Vanguard University (Calif.) 3; California State University-San Marcos 3; Edward Waters College (Fla.) 3; Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) 1; Madonna University (Mich.) 1; Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) 1; Menlo College (Calif.) 1; Georgetown College (Ky.) 1; Concordia University (Calif.) 1; Webber International University (Fla.) 1; University of Mobile (Ala.) 1; University of Houston - Victoria (Texas) 1.
