JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Despite not playing a game since the latest American Baseball Coaches Association poll, Carson-Newman has dropped four spots to #26 in the rankings that were released Tuesday morning.
Overall, this is Carson-Newman’s tenth appearance in the coaches poll, having been ranked as high as nine this season. This is the fifth straight week C-N has moved back in the rankings. The #26 ranking is the highest it’s been ranked this season (ABCA ranks top 30).
Head coach Tom Griffin had led the program to a 37-17 record this season. It’s C-N’s most wins in a season since 2008 and the second-most in a season in the Griffin era. Overall, it’s the program’s fourth-most wins in a season in program history. The Eagles compiled their most wins in a conference regular season, winning 21 games in league play this season. 21 of the 37 wins for the year have been at home, the third-most home wins for the program since turning to DII.
The strong season has resulted in the program’s fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2008. C-N has a 5-9 record with wins in two of its last three NCAA Tournament games.
Catawba is the highest ranked team in the coaches poll at number five. Lenoir-Rhyne is the only other South Atlantic Conference school in the rankings at #12.
Conference Carolinas is represented by #11 Young Harris, #14 Belmont Abbey and #15 North Greenville. The Peach Belt Conference has Lander at #20 and North Georgia at #22.
Every team that made the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament is ranked by the ABCA.
Opening round play for seventh seeded Carson-Newman begins Thursday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. against two-seeded Belmont Abbey. All of C-N’s games this weekend at the NCAA tournament will air with a free audio stream available courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network on cneagles.com/live.