VIRGINIA NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL POLL

TUCSON, Ariz. — Virginia is ranked No. 1 in the latest Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division I baseball poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum.

The Cavaliers (37-8) took two of three at Florida St. over the past weekend and notched their 10^th straight Atlantic Coast Conference series win dating to 2013. Virginia also handed Florida State its first home ACC series defeat since the 2011 season and snapped a streak of 13 straight home ACC series victories for the Seminoles. Virginia won just its second series ever in Tallahassee with the other coming in 2010.

Cal. Poly, ranked No. 1 last week, slipped to third after losing two of three at Long Beach St. It marked the first time this season the Mustangs have lost back-to-back games.

Poll Notes: Several other teams have been red-hot. Miami (Fla.) has won 19 of its last 20 (currently first in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 19-5). Southern California has won 9 in a row, Texas Christian 8 straight, Central Florida 8 of its last 9, Louisville 6 in a row, and Texas Tech. 11 of its past 13.

In key series over the past weekend, Miami (Fla.) swept a 3-game series at Clemson, Oregon St. swept a 3-game series at home against Oregon, South Carolina won two of three at home against Alabama, Mississippi swept 3 at Kentucky, Oklahoma St. won two of three at Texas, and UNLV swept a 3-game series at home against New Mexico.

Four teams fell out of the top 30 in Kentucky (1-3 last week), New Mexico (1-3), Arkansas (3-2) and U.C. Santa Barbara (2-1). New to the poll this week is Texas Tech. (35-13), Southern California (24-17), Arizona St. (23-17) and UNLV (28-15).

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

Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division I Poll
(As of April 28, 2014)

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National Players Of The Week

• LF Kurt Wertz, Towson: In five games last week, Wertz was 10-for-21 with 4 home runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple and 15 RBIs. In Towson’s 13-9 win over George Mason, he had 3 hits and drove in 7 runs — one shy of the school single-game record. Then during a 15-12 win over James Madison, Wertz collected 4 hits, including 3 home runs, and his second 7-RBI game of the week. His 15 total bases tied the Towson single-game record, and his 3 homers also tied a Towson record.

• 1B Alexander Lee, Radford: Lee was 16-for-20 last week over five games with 3 doubles, 1 homer and 11 RBI with 7 runs scored. He raised his batting average 49 points.

• RHP Thomas Eshelman, Cal. St. Fullerton: Eshelman threw a 10-inning complete game, 1-0 win over Hawaii as he threw 122 pitches. Eshelman only allowed six hits in the game and didn’t surrender a walk. On the season, he has only allowed 3 walks over 86 1/3 innings with 62 strikeouts.

• LHP Carlos Rodon, N.C. State: Rodon struck out 15 Georgia Tech. batters during a 9-inning complete game, 1-0 loss to the Yellow Jackets. He fanned 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. Georgia Tech. scored the only run of the game with a 2-out RBI single in the sixth. Rodon’s 15 strikeouts were one shy of his career high of 16 set against Florida Atlantic last season.

• RHP Aaron Rhodes, Florida: Rhodes tossed a 1-hit shutout in his third career start during a 5-0 win over Missouri. The only hit was a second-inning double as he retired the final 18 Missouri hitters of the game. He matched his career high of six strikeouts.