DALLAS (NCBWA) An 8-2 start to the season has put Tampa in a familiar spot as the Spartans climbed atop the NCBWA Division II Baseball Top 25 for the first regular season edition of the ranking in 2019. It is the sixth-straight year that UT has held the No. 1 spot for at least one week.
Five new teams entered this weeks poll, headlined by Catawba (N.C.) and Delta State (Miss.) who debuted inside the top 10 after impressive starts. That list of newcomers to the rankings also includes No. 14 St. Cloud State (Minn.), No. 18 Dixie State (Utah), No. 23 Ohio Dominican and No. 24 Point Loma (Calif.)
Carson-Newman (Tenn.) enters the NCBWA Top 25 at No. 23 for the first time since 2008 after a 10-2 start to the campaign. The story is much the same for Rollins (Fla.) who makes its debut in the national rankings (No. 25) for the first time since 2010 after the Tars captured eight of their first nine outings.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Dick Howser Trophy, Regional Players of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors Division I Players of the Week, the Stopper of the Year, and publication and writing contests.