Hurricanes Ranked 20th in Baseball Weekly/ESPN Preseason Poll

Jan. 24, 2003

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Baseball team will open the 2003 baseball season ranked 20th in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The poll is selected by 41 Division I head baseball coaches representing the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Defending national champion Texas is at the top of the poll with 965 points and 19 first-place votes, with Georgia Tech ranked second with 923 points and 15 first-place votes. Florida State is ranked third with Rice and Stanford rounding out the top five.

UM was ranked 14th in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll earlier in the year. However, the Canes were left out of Baseball America’s preseason top-25 list.

The Hurricanes just missed another trip to the College World Series last season, losing to South Carolina in three games at the Columbia (S.C.) Super Regional. Miami won the Gainesville Regional with a win over Florida International and two wins over Florida. UM finished the 2002 season with a 34-29 record.

Miami will open the season with the Alumni Game on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field. The Canes will then open the regular season on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. with a home game against FIU. Campbell will visit Coral Gables for the opening weekend series with 7 p.m. games on Thursday, Feb. 6 and Friday, Feb. 7 with a 4 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 8.

For more information on University of Miami athletics log on to its website www.hurricanesports.com, the official site for all Hurricane news, tickets, and apparel. For Hurricane ticket information call 1-800-GO CANES.