Miami Ranked 12th in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Poll
Dec. 21, 2009
TUSCON, Ariz. – Fresh off its NCAA record 37th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance in 2009, the University of Miami baseball team has garnered a No. 12 ranking in College Baseball Newspaper’s preseason poll for the 2010 season, as announced Monday.
Head coach Jim Morris, who recently signed a contract extension through 2015, will lead the Hurricanes in what will be his 17th season at the helm in 2010. The `Canes will return 17 letterwinners from last year’s 38-22 team, including 2009 All-ACC performers Chris Hernandez, Yasmani Grandal and Scott Lawson. In addition, two-time All-ACC performer Eric Erickson returns after missing the 2009 season rehabilitating from an injury.
Miami is one of six ACC teams ranked in the newspaper’s Top 20, with Virginia coming in at No. 3, Georgia Tech at No. 6, Florida State at No. 7, North Carolina at No. 13 and Clemson at No. 16. Texas garnered the top spot in the preseason poll this year, followed by LSU, UVa, Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State in the Top 5.
The No. 12 ranking is the highest for the Hurricanes in the Collegiate Baseball poll since garnering a No. 6 ranking going into the 2007 season. Last year, the `Canes entered the 2009 season ranked No. 18.
Miami opens its 2010 season at Alex Rodriguez Park on Friday, Feb. 19 against Rutgers. The `Canes 56-game slate features an exhibition contest against the Florida Marlins in Jupiter on March 3, 19 games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams and a total of 44 games played inside the state of Florida.
Joining the program for the 2010 season is a 13-member incoming class that features six players who were taken in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft and a total of 12 players that hail from the state of Florida.
For ticket information for the 2010 baseball season, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit www.hurricanesports.com.
For a detailed rundown on the Top 40 teams, see the Jan. 8, 2010 edition of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The “Collegiate Baseball” Newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1958 college baseball season.
