Francis Marion baseball gets preseason #1 ranking

Read?more: College Baseball, Francis Marion, Division II, Rankings, National Polls, Art Inabinent, College, NCAA Baseball

From Francis Marion Sports Information:

Santa delivers early ? FMU Baseball ranked #1 in pre-season poll
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FLORENCE, S.C. ? On the heels of a season that saw the Francis Marion University baseball team equal the school record for wins and capture the Peach Belt Conference regular-season championship, the Patriots learned on Thursday (Dec. 22) that they are ranked first in the 2012 College Baseball Lineup preseason NCAA Division II Top 30 poll.? Also released on Thursday, FMU is ranked second in the 2012 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper preseason Top 40 poll.
The No. 1 ranking is a first for the Patriot program.? Prior to Thursday, the highest Francis Marion had ever been ranked was second in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll on March 1, 2010.
The baseball program becomes the fourth FMU sport to ascend to the No. 1 position in a national poll, joining the men?s soccer program in 2000 and the women?s basketball and softball squads during the 1980?s.
Francis Marion ended the 2011 campaign with a 41-16 record and received its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, reaching the regional title game for the second year in a row.???
Head coach Art Inabinet welcomes back 15 letterwinners, including six position starters and six members of the pitching staff.? Among the returnees are the Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Co-Player of the Year.
?This ranking is nice recognition for the accomplishments of our players, coaches, and staff,? Inabinet said. ?It shines positively on our university. All that being said, it is nice to be ranked No. 1 at the beginning of the season, but our goal is to finish the season in the top spot.?
Seven opponents on the Patriots? 2012 schedule are nationally ranked to start the season according to the two polls.? In addition, the Patriots will meet second-ranked and two-time defending Division I national champion University of South Carolina on April 11.
FMU opens its 2012 season on Feb. 4 with a home contest against Limestone College.
The defending Division II national champion, University of West Florida (52-9), sits atop the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll, only 32 points ahead of Francis Marion.
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2012 COLLEGE BASEBALL LINEUP PRESEASON NCAA II TOP 30 POLL
(2011 Record In Parentheses)
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1.???????? Francis Marion (41-16)
2.???????? Tampa (36-17)
3.???????? Southern Connecticut State (45-9-1)
4.???????? St. Mary?s (47-10)
5.???????? Barry (40-17)
6.???????? Millersville (44-12)
7.???????? Winona State (42-18)
8.???????? UNC Pembroke (44-12)
9.???????? North Alabama (37-14)
10.?????? Grand Valley State (52-5)
11.?????? St. Cloud State (43-11)
12.?????? Southern Arkansas (36-16)
13.?????? Incarnate Word (37-18)
14.?????? Central Missouri (45-8)
15.?????? Mount Olive (47-10)
16.?????? Cal Poly Pomona (36-23)
17.?????? Southern Indiana (37-19)
18.?????? Franklin Pierce (40-14)
19.?????? West Florida (52-9)
20.?????? UC San Diego (42-15)
21.?????? Minnesota State (40-12)
22.?????? Mercyhurst (42-12)
23.?????? Columbus State (32-19)
24.?????? Emporia State (43-12)
25.?????? Catawba (41-15)
26.?????? Florida Southern (32-15)
27.?????? Armstrong Atlantic (35-17)
28.?????? UMass Lowell (37-14)
29.?????? Mesa State (35-21)
30.?????? West Chester (22-21)
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Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Div. II Pre-Season Poll
(as of Dec. 22, 2011)
Rank??? School Name??????????????? ?11 Record?? Pts
1.???????? West Florida??????????????????????????? 52-9???? 640
2.???????? Francis Marion??????????????????????? 41-16?? 618
3.???????? Central Missouri????????????????????? 49-10?? 606
4.???????? Grand Valley St.???????????????????? 52-5???? 590
5.???????? Mount Olive??????????????????????????? 47-10?? 586
6.???????? Tampa???????????????????????????????????? 36-17?? 546
7.???????? Millersville?????????????????????????????? 44-12?? 532
8.???????? Emporia St.???????????????????????????? 43-12?? 530
9.???????? Southern Conn. St.???????????????? 45-9-1 518
10.?????? Florida Southern???????????????????? 32-15?? 514
11.?????? St. Mary's (TX)?????????????????????? 47-10?? 472
12.?????? St. Cloud St.??????????????????????????? 43-11?? 464
13.?????? Franklin Pierce??????????????????????? 40-14?? 454
14.?????? Winona St.????????????????????????????? 42-18?? 414
15.?????? Columbus St.????????????????????????? 32-19?? 406
??????????? Cal. St. Chico????????????????????????? 30-20?? 406
17.?????? Mercyhurst????????????????????????????? 41-12?? 392
18.?????? Catawba????????????????????????????????? 41-15?? 386
19.?????? N.C. Pembroke?????????????????????? 44-12?? 340
20.?????? Minnesota St.-Mankato????????? 40-12?? 326
21.?????? Southern Indiana???????????????????? 37-19?? 310
22.?????? Southern Arkansas???????????????? 36-16?? 306
23.?????? Georgia College????????????????????? 35-17?? 292
24.?????? Le Moyne??????????????????????????????? 23-30?? 278
25.?????? Armstrong Atlantic St.???????????? 35-17?? 264
26.?????? Incarnate Word?????????????????????? 37-18?? 248
27.?????? Barry?????????????????????????????????????? 40-17?? 230
28.?????? Harding?????????????????????????????????? 42-13?? 216
29.?????? Cal Poly Pomona??????????????????? 36-23?? 208
30.?????? U.C. San Diego?????????????????????? 42-15?? 188
31.?????? Wayne St. (MI)?????????????????????? 35-21?? 120
32.?????? Delta St.????????????????????????????????? 30-19?? 110
33.?????? Western Oregon???????????????????? 37-15?? 108
34.?????? Mesa St.????????????????????????????????? 35-21?? 102
35.?????? North Georgia???????????????????????? 34-20?? 98
36.?????? S.E. Oklahoma St.????????????????? 35-19?? 92
37.?????? Massachusetts-Lowell??????????? 37-14?? 88
38.?????? North Alabama??????????????????????? 37-14?? 58
39.?????? California (PA)??????????????????????? 30-18?? 34
40.?????? Ashland?????????????????????????????????? 30-21?? 28
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Also Receiving Votes: Abilene Christian (24), Wilmington (22), Tarleton St. (22), Wayne St., NE (18), Dixie St. (14), Wingate (12), Seton Hill (12), Northern Kentucky (12), Limestone (10), Nebraska-Kearney (10), S.C. Aiken (8), Nova S.E. (8), Indianapolis (2), Tusculum (1), Cameron (1), St. Edwards (1), Angelo St. (1), West Texas A&M (1), Arkansas Tech. (1), Florida Tech. (1), Lynn (1), Kutztown (1), Slippery Rock (1), West Virginia St. (1), Drury (1), Missouri S&T (1), Quincy (1), New Mexico Highlands (1), Augustana (1), Adelphi (1).

Source: http://www.carolinalive.com/sports/story.aspx?id=700181

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