Baseball ranks eighth in preseason NCBWA Poll
Jan. 13, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas landed in the eighth spot on the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division I Preseason Top 35 Poll released on Tuesday. The Longhorns return four of their top five hitters from 2008, including Russell Moldenhauer (.355), Michael Torres (.354), Brandon Belt (.319) and Cameron Rupp (.319). Texas also returns starting pitchers Chance Ruffin and Austin Wood. Ruffin was the Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Year last season with an 8-3 mark and 1.96 ERA. He was also named a third-team All-American by Baseball America. Wood went 7-3 last season with a 4.43 ERA. Coach Augie Garrido's team finished with a 39-22 record last year and a No. 21 ranking in the final 2008 poll. North Carolina earned the top spot followed by LSU, Rice, Texas A&M and Georgia. Florida State was ranked sixth, followed by Arizona State, Texas, Stanford and Cal State Fullerton. The Longhorns were one of five Big 12 Conference teams in the top 20, joined by No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 16 Oklahoma State, No. 19 Baylor and No. 20 Missouri. Oklahoma landed at No. 28 to give the Big 12 six representatives on the NCBWA Top 35. Texas commences the 2009 season with a weekend series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field from Feb. 20-22 when the Horns battle Illinois-Chicago.
|
|
