BATON ROUGE — LSU outfielder/designated hitter Blake Dean was named Monday as the National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Dean, a sophomore from Crestview, Fla., was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Sunday, leading the Tigers to four straight victories en route to the tournament title. Dean hit .438 (7-for-16) in the tournament with three homers, nine RBI and five runs scored.
Dean, who has helped lead the Tigers to 20 straight wins entering this week’s NCAA Tournament, hit a walk-off solo homer in the 10th inning Wednesday to lift LSU to a 5-4 first-round SEC Tournament win over South Carolina.
Dean hit a grand slam Saturday in the Tigers’ semifinal victory over Alabama, and he launched a two-run blast Sunday in LSU’s championship-game win over Ole Miss.
Dean is batting .346 (80-for-231) on the year with 13 doubles, two triples, 16 homers and 57 RBI.
LSU also climbed to No. 2 Monday in the Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, up from No. 8 last week. The Tigers’ 20-game win streak is a school record, surpassing the 19-game streak established by the 1997 club.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s
NCAA Div. I Poll
(As of May 26, 2008)
Rank School (Record) Points Previous
1. Miami, Fla. (47-8) 494 2
2. LSU (43-16-1) 493 8
3. Florida St. (48-10) 492 4
4. North Carolina (46-12) 491 1
5. Arizona St. (45-11) 488 3
6. San Diego (41-15) 485 7
7. Rice (42-13) 484 5
8. Georgia (35-21-1) 479 6
9. Texas A&M (43-16) 473 9
10. Oklahoma St. (42-16) 471 10
11. Long Beach St. (37-19) 470 18
12. Ca. St. Fullerton (37-19) 469 11
13. Michigan (45-12) 468 14
14. Missouri (38-19) 466 12
15. Nebraska (40-14-1) 465 13
16. Stanford (33-21-2) 463 16
17. California (33-19-2) 462 15
18. Wichita St. (44-15) 459 20
19. Texas (37-20) 455 24
20. Texas Christian (43-17) 453 26
21. Coastal Carolina (47-12) 452 27
22. U.C. Irvine (38-16) 450 25
23. Arizona (38-17) 449 –
24. Vanderbilt (40-20) 446 –
25. N.C. State (38-20) 443 22
26. South Carolina (38-21) 440 19
27. Florida (34-22) 438 17
28. St. John’s (41-14) 436 21
29. Kentucky (42-17) 433 23
30. Virginia (38-21) 432 –
Baseball America
Rk. Team W-L Last Week Prev.
1. Miami 47-8 4-0 3
2. Florida State 48-10 2-1 4
3. North Carolina 46-12 1-2 1
4. Arizona State 45-11 1-2 2
5. LSU 43-16 4-0 10
6. Oklahoma State 42-16 2-1 7
7. San Diego 41-15 2-0 11
8. Cal State Fullerton 37-19 2-2 6
9. Rice 42-13 0-2 5
10. Georgia 35-21 0-2 8
11. UC Irvine 38-16 2-1 14
12. Missouri 38-19 1-2 9
13. Nebraska 40-14 1-2 12
14. Texas A&M 43-16 1-2 13
15. Stanford 33-21 2-2 16
16. Michigan 45-12 3-0 17
17. Coastal Carolina 47-12 4-1 21
18. Texas Christian 44-17 4-1 22
19. Texas 37-20 3-1 24
20. California 33-19 1-2 15
21. Wichita State 44-15 3-0 23
22. Long Beach State 37-19 3-1 25
23. Arizona 38-17 3-1 NR
24. Kentucky 42-17 1-2 19
25. North Carolina State 38-20 1-2 20
Dropped Out: St. John’s (18).
USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 coaches’ baseball poll
May 26, 2008
Rank School (first-place votes) Record Points Last week
1 Miami (Fla.) (26) 47-8 770 2
2 North Carolina (4) 46-12 721 1
3 Florida State 48-10 710 3
4 Arizona State (1) 45-11 676 4
5 Rice 42-13 610 5
6 Oklahoma State 42-16 585 6
7 LSU 43-16-1 562 13
8 Cal State Fullerton 37-19 483 8
9 San Diego 41-15 468 11
10 Nebraska 40-14-1 459 7
11 Georgia 35-21-1 396 9
12 UC Irvine 38-16 371 11
13 Texas A&M 43-16 370 10
14 Wichita State 44-15 356 14
15 Coastal Carolina 47-12 335 16
16 Missouri 38-19 302 15
17 Michigan 45-12 300 18
18 Stanford 33-21-2 295 17
19 Long Beach State 37-19 171 NR
20 Texas 37-20 158 NR
21 California 33-19-2 155 19
22 Vanderbilt 40-20 132 21
23 North Carolina State 38-20 130 22
24 Arizona 38-17 108 25
25 TCU 43-17 82 NR
Dropped out: No. 20 Kentucky, No. 23 South Carolina, No. 24 Georgia Tech.