Diamond Dogs Climb Back Into Rankings
State (27-17/10-11 SEC) is ranked 29th in this week's poll compiled by Tucson-based Collegiate Baseball, the oldest of the nation's college baseball polls.
Baylor (38-8), coached by former MSU assistant coach Steve Smith, heads up this week's Collegiate Baseball national rankings, which include five other SEC teams: No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 South Carolina, No. 5 LSU, No. 8 Florida and No. 13 Arkansas.
Mississippi State was ranked in the top 25 by Baseball America and in the ESPN/USA Today polls in back-to-back weeks in March.
State takes aim on its fourth SEC weekend series win in five weeks this weekend when the Bulldogs travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for a three-game, graduation weekend series against the Crimson Tide (17-28/6-15 SEC). The Bulldogs are in a three-way tie for third place in the SEC Western Division and in the thick of a tight race for a berth in the upcoming 10-team SEC Baseball Tournament May 22-27 in Hoover, Ala.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's
NCAA Div. I Poll
(As of April 30, 2012)
Rank School (Record) Points Previous
1. Baylor (38-8) 499 T-1
2. Florida St. (36-7) 498 5
3. Kentucky (36-9) 497 T-1
4. South Carolina (33-11) 496 7
5. Louisiana St. (35-10) 495 3
6. Arizona (29-13) 484 6
7. Oregon (30-13) 481 9
8. Florida (33-12) 480 4
9. Rice (30-12) 476 8
10. Stanford (28-11) 474 13
11. UCLA (28-12) 470 10
12. Texas A&M (31-13) 468 14
13. Arkansas (31-13) 464 20
14. Ca. St. Fullerton (26-14) 463 12
15. Central Florida (35-10) 461 11
16. North Carolina (30-13) 459 15
17. N.C. State (30-12) 458 21
18. Purdue (34-7) 456 17
19. San Diego (33-11) 453 16
20. Texas (25-16) 450 18
21. Sam Houston St. (31-12) 448 22
22. Louisville (31-13) 444 26
23. Virginia (30-14-1) 442 -
24. Coastal Carolina (30-13) 441 -
25. Oklahoma St. (26-17) 439 -
26. Oklahoma (28-16) 438 23
27. Texas Christian (26-15) 436 27
28. Arizona St. (26-17) 435 29
29. Mississippi St. (27-17) 433 -
30. St. John's (28-16) 430 -