Patriots ranked 15th in pre-season baseball poll
Following a 2010 campaign that saw Francis Marion University win 40 games for the second time in school history and reach the NCAA regional tournament final, the Patriots are ranked 15th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Division II Top 40 2011 pre-season poll.
Francis Marion posted a 40-14 record last season and made a second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament where the Patriots hosted the Southeast Regional. The 40 victories is the second-highest win total in team history, and the Patriots ended the season ranked 10th in the nation.
The 2011 pre-season ranking means the Patriots have appeared in 95 of the past 101 national polls dating back to the 2005 season. FMU was ranked in every poll during the 2010 season, including 12 weeks in the Top 10.
Defending national champion University of Southern Indiana (52-14) occupies the No. 1 spot in the poll, while five PBC squads are ranked among the Top 40 programs.
Four opponents on the Patriots’ 2011 schedule are nationally ranked to start the season. FMU opens its season on Feb. 5 with a home doubleheader against King College.
Head coach Art Inabinet welcomes back 13 letterwinners, including four position starters and eight members of the pitching staff.
Rank School ’10 Record Pts 1. Southern Indiana 52-14 640 2. U.C. San Diego 54-8 624 3. Central Missouri 52-11 608 4. Georgia College & St. 42-17 584 5. Tampa 46-11 576 6. Abilene Christian 50-15 550 7. Mount Olive 41-11 532 8. Florida Southern 41-16 516 9. Kutztown 42-15 508 10. Franklin Pierce 43-17-1 492 11. Columbus St. 44-12 482 12. Minnesota St.-Mankato 44-16 478 13. Emporia St. 43-16 472 14. Valdosta St. 41-17 422 15. Francis Marion 40-14 406 16. Southern Arkansas 47-10 386 17. Northern Kentucky 43-17 382 18. St. Mary's 40-19 376 19. Mesa St. 37-20 360 20. South Carolina-Aiken 32-19 328 21. West Florida 36-20 294 22. Incarnate Word 42-18 272 23. Catawba 40-13 264 24. California, PA 34-18 262 25. Indianapolis 35-22 260 26. Grand Valley St. 37-16 234 27. Cal. St. Dominguez Hills 41-20 228 28. Erskine 41-17 204 29. Rollins 41-19 188 30. Southern Connecticut St. 38-13-1 178 31. Slippery Rock 27-23 166 32. Delta St. 34-16-1 112 33. Florida Tech. 39-16 104 34. Cal. St. San Bernardino 29-15 96 35. North Georgia 34-17 84 36. West Chester 39-14 80 37. Ashland 35-22 78 38. New Mexico Highlands 41-13 60 39. S.E. Oklahoma 32-21 58 40. St. Cloud St. 41-17 54 Winona St. 36-16 54 Cal. St. Chico 36-20 54
Also Receiving Votes: Wayne St. (MI) 24, N.C. Pembroke 24, Mercyhurst 20, Texas-Permian Basin 20, Hawaii Pacific 12, Cameron 10, Western Oregon 10, Seton Hill 10, Mansfield 6, New Haven 2, Tusculum 2, Wingate 2, Carson-Newman 2, Georgia S.W. 2, Bellarmine 2, St. Joseph's (IN) 2, UMass-Lowell 2, Ft. Hays St. 2, Missouri Southern 2, Nebraska-Kearney 2, Wayne St. (NE) 2, Nova S.E. 2, Barry 2, North Alabama 2, Ouachita Baptist 2, Shepherd 2, Shippensburg 2.
