Men's Baseball: Wolves Maintain No. 1 Ranking

Western Oregon also climbs to No. 6 in national baseball writer’s poll.

Photo Courtesy: WOU Salem-News.com Sports

MONMOUTH - The Western Oregon baseball team held the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week in the official NCAA Division II west region poll announced today, and they moved up one spot to sixth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer`s Association national list.

The Wolves have finished the regular season, and are now awaiting Monday`s announcement of the six-team field for the west region tournament, along with the selection of the host site. This poll and the final selection are based on a ratings system that includes six different categories. The Wolves, in part because of a solid record against highly ranked teams in the region, have held the top spot since the first ranking came out a month ago.

WOU is currently 38-14 overall and is 7-2 against other teams ranked in the top ten in the west. They are 36-14 against all clubs in the west region, and they won their sixth straight league title with a 20-4 record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Nationally, Western Oregon claimed its highest ranking since moving to the NCAA D-II level, with the No. 6 listing in the NCBWA poll. This week`s top 10 is (1) Tampa FL 42-6, (2) Georgia College and State 46-8, (3) Grand Valley State MI 44-8, (4) Catawba NC 44-12, (5) Emporia State KS 42-9, (6) Western Oregon 38-14, (7) Franklin Pierce NH 40-9, (8t) Francis Marion SC 37-13, (8t) West Virginia State 43-7, (10) Delta State MS 37-19. Other west region teams in the top 25 are Mesa State (t14) and Fort Hays State (22).

The Wolves are in the mix for an opportunity to host the six-team regional tournament, which is scheduled for May 18th-21st. If chosen, WOU will hold the event at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer. The winner of that playoff advances to the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament, held in Montgomery, Alabama, May 27th to June 3rd.

The final west region poll in on May 15th will in part determine the six teams that qualify for post-season play. The conference tournament winners from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) will have automatic berths. Those two conferences are holding their tournaments this weekend. The next four highest teams in the poll will also qualify. The GNAC does not have an automatic berth.

The Wolves advanced to the title game of the 2005 regional tournament (falling to Chico State), and also participated in the 2003 regional championships in its second year of NCAA membership. The tournament field was limited to four teams previously, but has expanded to six this year.

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