Courtesy of Collegiate Baseball
TUCSON, Ariz. – The 2000 LSU baseball team has been preseason ranked eighth in the nation according to “Collegiate Baseball” newspaper’s annual pre-season survey of NCAA Division I baseball coaches across the USA.
LSU, which fell to Alabama in the NCAA super regionals last season, finished the 1999 season ranked 14th with a 41-24-1 record.
Stanford is the pre-season favorite to win the 2000 College World Series. The Cardinal, which finished third at last year’s College World Series, returns seven position player starters and three superb pitchers off a team which rolled to a 50-15 overall record and Pac-10 championship.
Three players are expected to be first or second round draft picks next June in RHP Jason Young (12-3, 3.43 ERA), RF Joe Borchard (.372, 11 HR, 16 2B, 56 RBI) and RHP Justin Wayne (10-1, 4.94 ERA, 135 K, 43 BB). Young led the nation last year with 178 strikeouts (also a Stanford single-season record). He led the Pac-10 in innings pitched (154.6), wins (12) and games started (21). It should also be noted Young hurled 10 complete games which may have led the nation as well.
“This is the most veteran team I have ever had at Stanford (in 23 years),” said Head Coach Mark Marquess. “We are very fortunate we have so many seniors on this team (6) who play such pivotal roles on the team. It is rare to see this since so many top juniors are usually signed.” Key starting seniors who have returned include C Damien Alvarado, 1B/3B John Gall, 2B/SS Eric Bruntlett, CF Edmund Muth, and 1B Craig Thompson.
“I can’t poor mouth my team,” said Marquess. “We have a veteran, strong team. But that can change in a hurry if key injuries take place. I look at teams that have made it to the College World Series. If they have older players on the team who post big numbers, they usually have great years. That is what we are striving to do with our veteran team.
The “Collegiate Baseball” newspaper NCAA Division I poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.
| Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll | ||
| (As of Dec. 15, 1999) | ||
| Rank School ’99 Record | Points | ’99 Final Rank |
| 1. Stanford (50-15) | 480 | 3 |
| 2. Cal. St. Fullerton (50-14) | 477 | 6 |
| 3. Alabama (53-16) | 474 | 4 |
| 4. UCLA (31-31) | 470 | NR |
| 5. Miami, Fla. (50-13) | 469 | 1 |
| 6. Florida St. (57-14) | 467 | 2 |
| 7. Rice (59-15 | 463 | 5 |
| 8. LSU (41-24-1) | 460 | 14 |
| 9. Georgia Tech. (38-20) | 459 | NR |
| 10. Houston (40-24) | 455 | 24 |
| 11. Clemson (42-27) | 452 | 13 |
| 12. Texas (36-26) | 450 | NR |
| 13. Tulane (48-17) | 447 | 21 |
| 14. Wichita St. (59-14) | 442 | 16 |
| 15. Southern Calif. (36-26) | 439 | 12 |
| 16. Baylor (50-15) | 438 | 9 |
| 17. Auburn (46-19) | 435 | 15 |
| 18. Texas Tech. (42-17) | 433 | 22 |
| 19. Arizona (33-23) | 430 | NR |
| 20. North Carolina (41-18) | 426 | 28 |
| 21. Texas A&M (52-18) | 425 | 7 |
| 22. Long Beach St. (35-25) | 422 | 29 |
| 23. Oklahoma St. (46-21) | 419 | 8 |
| 24. Florida (31-25) | 415 | NR |
| 25. Notre Dame (43-18) | 413 | NR |
| 26. Pepperdine (46-16) | 410 | 19 |
| 27. Minnesota (46-18) | 406 | 25 |
| 28. Arizona St. (39-21) | 403 | NR |
| 29. South Alabama (39-20) | 398 | NR |
| 30. Oral Roberts (46-15) | 396 | NR |
| 31. Wake Forest (47-16) | 394 | 10 |
| 32. Arkansas (42-23) | 390 | 17 |
| 33. Nevada (38-20) | 388 | 26 |
| 34. South Carolina (35-23) | 385 | NR |
| 35. Illinois (34-22) | 381 | NR |
| 36. Florida Atlantic (54-9) | 379 | 20 |
| 37. Ohio St. (50-14) | 373 | 11 |
| 38. California (27-31) | 370 | NR |
| 39. Nebraska (42-18) | 365 | NR |
| 40. Mississippi (34-28) | 362 | NR |