Hurricanes Ranked Fourth By Baseball Weekly/ESPN
Jan. 25, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The defending National Champion University of Miami Hurricanes are among the preseason favorites to win the 2000 College World Series, according to Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ annual pre-season poll. The Hurricanes are ranked fourth in the poll behind Stanford, Cal State Fullerton and Alabama.
This is the third preseason poll to tab the Hurricanes in the top five along with Baseball America (5) and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (5). Collegiate Baseball also named senior pitcher David Gil a preseason first-team All-American, while the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association tabbed sophomore pitcher Vince Vazquez a third-team All-American. Baseball America tabbed junior rightfielder Manny Crespo a second-team All-American and junior first baseman Kevin Brown to the third team.
The Hurricanes, under the direction of 1999 National Coach of the Year Jim Morris, return five position starters from last season’s College World Series championship team and 18 letterwinners overall. In 1999, UM recorded a 50-13 overall record while marching through the postseason with a perfect 9-0 record. The season culminated with No. 1-seeded Miami’s 6-5 victory over No. 2 Florida State for the national title at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE.
Miami begins defense of its 1999 crown on Wednesday, Jan. 26 against Lynn University at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium. Call 1-800-GO-CANES for season ticket information.
Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll(As of Jan. 24, 2000)
Rank School (’99 Record) Points ’99 Rank1. Stanford (50-15) (35) 1043 32. Cal. St. Fullerton (50-14) (1) 949 63. Alabama (53-16) (1) 916 44. MIAMI (50-13) (5) 914 15. Florida State (57-14) 848 26. Louisiana St. (41-24-1) 772 147. Rice (59-15) 712 58. Georgia Tech (38-20) 638 NR9. Houston (40-24) 625 2410. UCLA (31-31) 610 NR11. Southern California (36-26) 572 1212. Wichita State (59-14) 555 1613. Auburn (46-19) 517 1514. Baylor (50-15) 500 915. Clemson (42-27) 440 1316. Tulane (48-17) 418 2117. Texas (36-26) 369 NR18. Florida (31-25) 274 NR19. Texas A&M (52-18) 234 720. Texas Tech (42-17) 215 2221. Arizona (33-23) 201 NR22. Arizona State (39-21) 162 NR23. Long Beach State (35-25) 160 2924. Wake Forest (47-16) 141 1025. Oklahoma State (46-21) 127 8
ARV: Notre Dame (118), North Carolina (102), Loyola Marymount (74), Arkansas (56), South Carolina (46), Ohio State (44), Pepperdine (42), Mississippi State (36), Florida Atlantic (29), Central Florida (28), Minnesota (27), N.C. State (16), California (14), Michigan (12), Illinois (12), Nevada (10), East Carolina (10), LA-Lafayette (9), Tennessee (8), Nebraska (7), Kentucky (5), Oral Roberts (5), Georgia (5), Florida International (5), St. John’s (4), South Alabama (3), Mississippi (3), Fresno State (3), SW Missouri St. (2), Rutgers (2).
