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Baseball Picked to Win ACC Coastal Division

Baseball Picked to Win ACC Coastal Division

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Miami Hurricanes were picked as the preseason favorite to win the ACC Coastal Division in a poll of the league’s 14 head coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Miami, which was picked by 13 of 14 coaches as the likely division winner, is looking for its third straight Coastal title; the Hurricanes won the division in 2014 with a 24-6 mark in ACC play and again in 2015 with a 22-8 record.

Miami (97 points) was followed by defending national champion Virginia (80 points), North Carolina (71), Georgia Tech (58), Duke (38), Virginia Tech (30), and Pitt (18) in the Coastal Division.

Louisville (98 points) was selected to win the Atlantic Division, and also captured all 14 votes for overall champion of the ACC.

The Hurricanes have earned three top-10 national preseason rankings, including a No. 4 mark from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and No. 6 from both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America

Miami returns 18 letterwinners from a 2015 team that won a second straight ACC Coastal Division title and qualified for the College World Series for the 24th time in program history.

The Hurricanes, who earned the No. 5 national seed entering last year’s postseason run, won 50 games and extended their own college baseballrecord by qualifying for the NCAA postseason for the 43rd straight year; Miami has not missed the NCAA postseason since 1972.

Two Hurricanes – juniors Zack Collins and Bryan Garcia – have earned preseason All-America recognition from both Louisville Slugger and Perfect Game.

Season tickets to the Miami Hurricanes’ 2016 baseball season at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field are available for as little as $99, while family plans (two adults, three youth) for the entire 35-game home slate are available for just $199. Call (305) 284-2263 for more information.

 

2016 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

Overall Champion

1. Louisville (14)

Atlantic Division

1. Louisville (14) – 98

2. Florida State – 74

3. NC State – 72

4. Notre Dame – 50

5. Clemson – 46

6. Wake Forest – 35

7. Boston College – 17

Coastal Division

1. Miami (13) – 97

2. Virginia (1) – 80

3. North Carolina – 71

4. Georgia Tech – 58

5. Duke – 38

6. Virginia Tech – 30

7. Pitt – 18