Collegiate Baseball Div 1 Poll (3-15-21)

ARKANSAS NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL POLL 

TUCSON, Ariz. — Arkansas (12-1) is ranked No. 1 for the third straight week in Collegiate Baseball’s NCAA Division I baseball poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum.

The Razorbacks beat Louisiana Tech. two of three on the road last week and saw their 12-game winning streak to start the season stopped with a 2-0 loss in game three of the series. Arkansas had won 16 straight dating back to the final four games of the 2020 season.

Arkansas has only committed 7 errors in 13 games. On offense, the Hogs are averaging 7.3 runs per game. The disciplined hitters have walked 71 times with 21 hit-by-pitches and have 47 extra base hits (21 homers, 23 doubles, 3 triples). The pitching staff has a 3.39 ERA with 137 strikeouts and 56 walks.

In key series over the weekend, Texas swept a 3-game series at home against South Carolina, Vanderbilt took two of three at Oklahoma St., Pittsburgh won two of three at Georgia Tech., Oregon won two of three at Oregon St., North Carolina swept a 3-game series at home against Clemson and Notre Dame swept a 3-game series at Virginia.

Poll Notes: Several teams have been red-hot. Texas Tech. has won 13 in a row, Texas A&M 10 straight, Arizona St. 9 consecutive, Indiana and East Carolina 7 in a row while Georgia, Mississippi St. and Michigan have won 6 straight.

Five teams fell out of the top 30 this week in Texas Christian (2-3 last week), Virginia Tech. (2-3), Florida Atlantic (1-3), Dallas Baptist (1-2) and Ball St. (0-3). New to the poll is Texas (5 wins in a row), Notre Dame (5 straight wins), Texas A&M (10 consecutive wins), Indiana (7 in a row) and Pittsburgh (won 2 of 3 at Georgia Tech., tied for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division).

The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1959 college baseball season.

Collegiate Baseball’s
NCAA Div. I Baseball Poll
(As of March 15, 2021)
Presented By
www.bigleaguechew.com

Collegiate Baseball’s
National Players Of The Week
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RHP Colin Fields, Valparaiso: Fields threw the eighth no-hitter in Valparaiso history with a 5-0, 7-inning win over Middle Tennessee St. After walking the leadoff batter in the bottom of the first, he set down 19 straight until the seventh inning. Fields racked up 10 strikeouts which tied his career high.

3B Cade Doughty, Louisiana St.: Doughty belted 5 home runs, 6 runs scored and 12 RBI over 5 games last week as he went 7-for-21 at the plate. He also walked 5 times.

RHP McCade Brown, Indiana: Brown threw 7 no-hit innings during an 8-0 win over Penn State. He also matched the Indiana school record with 16 strikeouts. His strikeout total is the most for any IU pitcher in a Big Ten game.

3B Chris Brito, Rutgers: Brito hit 4 home runs, 2  doubles and collected 9 RBI and 5 runs as he went 9-for-18 at the plate in four games against Maryland.

RHP Jarret Whorff, Louisiana Tech.: Whorff handed No. 1 Arkansas its first loss of the 2021 season as he fired a complete-game shutout while allowing no hits over the final 7 innings during a 2-0 win. He struck out 10 batters and only walked 1.

RF Ethan Cady, East Tennessee St.: Cady recorded 4 home runs and 1 double with 9 RBI as he went 5-for-13 last week in 4 games. He also drew 4 walks.

LHP Dustin Saenz, Texas A&M: Saenz recorded 14 strikeouts, including 13 over the first 5 innings, during a win over Samford. He only allowed 4 hits, all singles, including two of the infield variety.

3B Clemente Inclan, North Carolina: Inclan homered in 4 straight games last week as he posted 4 circuit clouts with 8 RBI and 6 runs scored. He went 4-for-11 at the plate and walked twice.

LF J.T. Weber, Southern Illinois: Weber reached base in 14 of his 17 plate appearances in Southern Illinois’ series win over Evansville. He was 7-for-10 with 2 homers. He also drew 4 walks and was hit by 3 pitches to post an on-base percentage of .824. He also had a run-saving outfield assist on a fly ball to leftfield.