Men's Baseball: Wolves Still Top-Ranked in West

Western Oregon baseball squad is No. 1 in west poll, 7th nationally.

Photo Courtesy: WOU

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

The Wolves have won 15 consecutive games and have just four regular-season contests left. The poll is based strictly 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 kept the top spot.

WOU is currently 35-13 overall and is 7-2 against other teams ranked in the top ten in the west. They are 33-13 against all clubs in the west region, and are 17-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

Nationally, Western Oregon climbed into the top 10 (No. 8) last week for the first time since moving to the NCAA D-II level, and moved up one spot this week in the NCBWA poll. Georgia College and State is first, followed by Tampa, West Virginia State, Grand Valley State, Nebraska-Omaha, Catawba, WOU, Delta State, Francis Marion and Central Missouri State.

The Wolves are in the mix for an opportunity to host the six-team regional tournament, which is scheduled for May 18th-21st. 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 14th 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. 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.

The Wolves host Saint Martin`s this weekend on Saturday at 1:00 PM, and Sunday at noon, to close out the regular season.

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