Courtesy of NAIA Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the fourth straight week, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) lands the No. 1 position in the fourth regular season edition of the 2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, announced by the NAIA on Tuesday. The Warriors, who own the best winning percentage in the NAIA (.917) with a 33-3 record, claimed all 24 of the first-place votes.
Since 2000, Lewis-Clark State has been ranked No. 1 a total of 50 times, which is the most of any program. The Warriors have not been ranked worse than 10th going all the way back to the end of the 1989 season. This year, the Warriors have excelled in pitching with a No. 1 ranking, statistically, in earned run average (2.47) and batters struck out per nine innings (8.11). Currently winners of 16 World Series titles, Lewis-Clark State begins a three-game series with Concordia (Ore.) on Friday.
No. 2 Cumberland (Tenn.) has been a recent newcomer to the top of the rankings. The Bulldogs are in the second spot for the second straight week, boasting 662 total points. Cumberland began the year (Preseason) at No. 19, and has since climbed each week prior to the No. 2 position on April 13. With a 37-8 record, Cumberland has won eight straight games. The Bulldogs rank second nationally in home runs per game (1.8) and are led by third baseman Matt Greener. He is first in the NAIA in home runs (18), batting average (.500), RBIs (66) and slugging percentage (.975).
No. 3 Oklahoma City kept pace with the top teams as the Stars went 2-1 last week. OCU garnered 629 total points and are 32-8 on the year. Leading the country in runs scored (10.2 per game), Oklahoma City has amassed the 10-run mark 19 times this season.
Snapping the 14-game winning streak of No. 1 Lewis-Clark State last week, No. 4 British Columbia holds its position this week with 593 points. The Thunderbirds defeated LCSC 4-1 on April 16 and now are 31-8 on the year. British Columbia has to play a four-game set with Oregon Tech this weekend before looking ahead to a showdown with No. 21 College of Idaho starting May 1.
California Baptist has a deadlock on the No. 5 position with 590 total points. The Lancers have held steady for four straight weeks thanks to 34-11 record and playing in one of the most difficult leagues, the Golden State Athletic Conference. In their last 12 games against NAIA opponents, the Lancers are 10-2. California Baptist will close out the regular season next weekend, but starting on Wednesday, the Lancers will face the league's second-place team and No. 11 Vanguard (Calif.).
The Golden State Athletic Conference and Southern States Athletic Conference lead all conferences and unaffiliated groupings with four members ranked in the Top 25. The GSAC boasts California Baptist, No. 11 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 15 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) and No. 24 Fresno Pacific (Calif.). The SSAC claims No. 6 Lee (Tenn.), No. 16 Faulkner (Ky.), No. 18 Southern Poly State (Ga.) and No. 23 Brewton-Parker (Ga.).
No. 22 Missouri Baptist and No. 25 South Carolina-Beaufort both appear in the Top 25 for the first time this season. Missouri Baptist was last ranked in the 2009 Preseason Top 25 (Nov. 11, 2008) when it was No. 19. The Spartans have won six straight games and 22 of their last 24 overall. The Sand Sharks are appearing in their first ever Coaches' Poll, according to available records. At 35-10, South Carolina-Beaufort owns a current 11-game winning streak.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the 25 conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The fifth regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on April 27.
