Collegiate Baseball Div. I Poll 4-7-14

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL

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

The Ragin’ Cauns, ranked No. 1 two of the last three weeks, have won six straight and 20 of their last 21. Louisiana-Lafayette’s 30-3 start (11-1 record in the Sun Belt Conference) is the best in school history. The Cajuns have one of the most prolific offenses in college baseball with 41 homers, 82 doubles and 19 triples in 33 games along with a .326 team batting average. ULL is averaging 8.4 runs per game, and the pitching staff has a superb 2.97 ERA.

South Carolina, ranked first in the nation last week, slipped to fourth after losing two of three at Arkansas over the past weekend.  

Poll Notes: Several other teams have been red-hot. Texas has won 11 of its last 12, Florida St. 8 in a row, Miami (Fla.) eight straight, San Diego eight of its last 10 and Pepperdine 7 consecutive.

In key series over the past weekend, Vanderbilt lost two of three at Tennessee, Oregon St. swept three at home against Stanford, Cal. Poly beat U.C. Santa Barbara two of three at home, Texas swept a 3-game series at home against Baylor, Louisiana St. swept a 3-game series at home against Mississippi St., Washington won two of three at home against Oregon, Kentucky won two of three at home against Florida, Alabama won two of three at Texas A&M and Mississippi swept a 3-game series at home against Auburn.

Only one team fell out of the top 30 this week in Auburn (0-4 last week). New to the poll is San Diego (22-9, 9-3 in West Coast Conference) with 5 straight wins.

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 7, 2014)

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LOUISVILLE SLUGGER NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

• LHP Nathan Kirby, Virginia: Kirby threw a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts during a 4-0 win at Pittsburgh. His strikeout total was one off the school and Atlantic Coast Conference single-game record. It marked the Cavaliers’ first no-hitter since 2011 as he faced two batters over the minimum. It marked Virginia’s fifth no-hitter in the last 50 years.   

• Derrick Sylvester & Tim Viehoff, Southern New Hampshire: The duo combined to strike out 22 Saint Anselm batters during an 8-2 win. It was the highest number of strikeouts by a team in a 9-inning game in NCAA Division II history. Sylvester went the first five innings and struck out 11 batters. Viehoff finished the game with 11 strikeouts over the final four innings.   

• LHP/1B A.J. Reed, Kentucky: Reed belted 3 home runs in four games with 3 doubles, 5 runs scored and 6 RBI as he went 8-for-16 at the plate. On the mound, he pitched 7 shutout innings against Florida and struck out three.

• C Jesse Jenner, San Diego: Jenner was 10-for-13 at the plate with 1 home run, 1 double and 5 RBI over four games.  

• RHP Parker Bean, Liberty: Bean came within two outs of a no-hitter as he ultimately allowed 1 hit and struck out 16 batters over 8 1/3 innings during a 17-0 win over Virginia Military Institute.

• RHP Bubba Derby, San Diego St.: Derby struck out a career-high 15 batters during a 5-1 win over Air Force. He allowed one run and scattered three hits over 8 1/3 innings.