Collegiate Baseball Div 1 Poll (5-17-21)

ARKANSAS NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL POLL 

TUCSON, Ariz. — Arkansas (39-10) is ranked No. 1 for the ninth time this season in Collegiate Baseball’s NCAA Division I baseball poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum.

The Razorbacks beat Arkansas St. at home and then won two of three at Tennessee.

Arkansas is No. 2 in NCAA Div. I with 83 homers in 49 games and has also has hit 79 doubles, 10 triples and is averaging 7.8 runs per game. Razorback hitters have walked 279 times (5.7 per game, No. 4 nationally) and been hit by pitches 57 times. The pitching staff has struck out 499 batters and walked 176.

In key series across the nation, Ole Miss won two of three at home against Vanderbilt, Mississippi St. lost two of three at home against Missouri, Florida won two of three at home against Georgia, Louisville lost three straight at North Carolina, Stanford lost two of three at California, Arizona swept Washington three straight at home, Oregon won three at Utah, South Carolina won three at Kentucky, UCLA won two of three against U.C. Santa Barbara, U.C. Irvine won four straight against U.C. Riverside at home, Pittsburgh lost three straight at home to N.C. State, Oklahoma St. won two of three against Baylor at home, Arizona St. won two of three against Oregon St. at home, Georgia Tech. lost two of three at Miami, Fla., Dallas Baptist split four at home against Bradley and Florida St. won two of three at home against Clemson.

Three teams fell out of the top 30 this week in Pittsburgh (0-3 last week, 4 straight losses overall), Dallas Baptist (2-2) and Southern Mississippi (2-2). New to the poll is N.C. State (5 straight wins), Virginia Commonwealth (16 wins in a row) and Grand Canyon (8 consecutive wins).  

Poll Notes: Several teams have been red-hot. Virginia Commonwealth has won 16 straight, Gonzaga 9 in a row, Grand Canyon 8 consecutive, U.C. Irvine 7 straight and Oregon 6 in a row.

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 May 17, 2021)
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www.bigleaguechew.com

Collegiate Baseball’s
National Players Of The Week
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LHP Andrew Abbott, Virginia: Abbott struck out 16 Wake Forest batters during 7 1/3 innings and didn’t surrender a hit or run. He was followed by Jake Berry and Griff McGarry who finished off the no-hitter against the Demon Deacons during a 17-0 win.

DH Ethan Long, Arizona St.: Long hit 4 homers with 12 RBI as he went 8-for-16 at the plate over 4 games with a 1.375 slugging percentage. He has now homered 14 times in the last 14 games.

RHP Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt: Leiter struck out 13 Mississippi batters over 6 innings and only allowed 2 hits. He leads the Southeastern Conference with 119 strikeouts.

CF Reed Trimble, Southern Mississippi: Trimble hit 4 home runs over 4 games against Florida Atlantic with 2 doubles and 10 RBI as he went 8-for-16 with 6 runs scored.

RHP Austin Vernon, North Carolina Central: Vernon struck out 13 Florida A&M batters in seven innings to tie a school single-game record. The first 11 outs he recorded were all strikeouts from the first to the fourth inning.

OF Julian Gonzales, McNeese St.: Gonzales reached base 13 of his 15 plate appearances with 3 home runs in 4 games. He also walked 5 times and was hit by pitches 3 times.

LHP Ky Bush, St. Mary’s: Bush was dominant in a 1-0 win over Loyola Marymount as he fanned 13 batters over 7 1/3 innings. He only allowed 3 hits.

1B Bobby Head, Austin Peay St.: Head was 13-for-19 over 4 games last week as he belted 5 doubles, 2 homers and scored 6 runs.

RHP Kevin Stevens, Texas-Rio Grande Valley: Stevens fired a 7-inning 1-hitter during a 5-0 win over Northern Colorado. He struck out 11 batters and walked none as he only threw 76 pitches.