Diamond Dogs Climb To No. 6
The Bulldogs (6-0), now more than halfway through a season-opening 11-gamehomestand, play host to Louisiana Tech (5-7) Tuesday and Louisiana-Monroe(0-13) Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. for both contests. Statecloses out its early run of games at Dudy Noble Field this weekend,entertaining Pac-10 Conference power Arizona in the three-game Cadence BankClassic.
Georgia Tech (13-0), riding a nation-leading 13-game winning streak, standsatop the Baseball America poll. Clemson is second followed by No. 3 Rice,No. 4 North Carolina, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 6 Mississippi State. MSU,Georgia Tech and Bowling Green State are the only remaining unbeaten teamsamong the clubs that have opened their 2006 season. Five other SEC teams arealso included in this week's Baseball America poll - No. 9 South Carolina,No. 10 Arkansas, No. 13 Louisiana State, No. 15 Florida and No. 19Mississippi.
Mississippi State also made its season debut at No. 18 in the CollegiateBaseball newspaper ranking, which also ranks Georgia Tech as the No. 1 team.Collegiate Baseball, based in Tuscon, Ariz., includes nine SEC teams in itstop 30.
Junior righthander Jon Crosby of Germantown, Tenn., who worked an inning ofrelief last weekend in MSU¹s series sweep of Arkansas State, is set to makehis seasonal starting debut Tuesday against Louisiana Tech. LTU hasdesignated senior righty Matt Lacy (1-0, 2.89) as its starter. AnotherMemphis area pitcher, freshman Matt Lea of Collierville, Tenn., will makehis collegiate pitching debut in MSU¹s Wednesday afternoon game withLouisiana-Monroe.
MSU's No. 6 ranking is its highest since the 1998 MSU edition finishedranked sixth following a successful run to the NCAA College World Series.
BASEBALL AMERICA Top 25 poll
Team (W-L)
1. Georgia Tech (13-0)
2. Clemson (7-2)
3. Rice (13-3)
4. North Carolina (10-1)
5. Tennessee (11-2)
6. Mississippi State (6-0)
7. Cal State Fullerton (10-6)
8. Florida State (14-1)
9. South Carolina (9-2)
10. Arkansas (13-1)
11. Oregon State (9-4)
12. Tulane (10-4)
13. Louisiana State (13-2)
14. Nebraska (8-2)
15. Florida (9-6)
16 Stanford (10-5)
17. Arizona State (14-5)
18. Missouri (8-5)
19. Mississippi (8-3)
20. Texas A&M (13-2)
21. Texas (10-8)
22. Long Beach State (10-7)
23. Pepperdine (9-9)
24. Cal Poly (12-6)
25. Kansas (13-4)
Dropped Out: North Carolina State (18), Texas Christian (21), Winthrop (24),San Diego (25).
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Div. I Poll (As of March 6, 2006)
Rank School (Record)
1. Georgia Tech (13-0)
2. Florida State (14-1)
3. Clemson (7-2)
4. Rice (13-3)
5. North Carolina (10-1)
6. Nebraska (8-2)
7. Tennessee (11-2)
8. Louisiana State (13-2)
9. South Carolina (9-2)
10. Arkansas (13-1)
11. Stanford (10-5)
12. Oregon State (9-4)
13. Arizona State (14-5)
14. Cal State Fullerton (10-6)
15. Texas A&M (13-2)
16. Florida (9-6)
17. Texas (10-8)
18. Mississippi State (6-0)
19. Baylor (9-3)
20. Wichita State (13-2)
21. Miami, Fla. (12-6)
22. Tulane (10-4)
23. Oklahoma (12-4)
24. Pepperdine (9-9)
25. Long Beach State (10-7)
26. North Carolina State (13-4)
27. Mississippi (8-3)
28. Georgia (7-2)
29. Cal Poly SLO (12-6)
30. Alabama (12-3)