By: Jason Pugh, Assistant AD for Media Relations
NATCHITOCHES – For the second time in three seasons, the Northwestern State baseball team has earned some preseason acclaim.
Just as it was in 2019, the Demons find themselves as part of the receiving votes group of the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 50 Preseason Poll, which the publication released Monday morning.
Northwestern State was 12-4 in the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season and is one of three Southland Conference schools in the receiving votes category, joining Sam Houston State and in-state rival McNeese.
The Demons return all but two starts from their position players and 73 percent of their innings pitched from the shortened 2020 season.
Additional Louisiana schools in the poll include No. 7 LSU, No. 43 Tulane, Louisiana Tech (RV), UL Lafayette (RV) and ULM (RV).
| Rank |
Team (2020 Final Record) |
Points |
| 1. |
Florida (16-1) |
498 |
| 2. |
Vanderbilt (13-5) |
493 |
| 3. |
UCLA (13-2) |
491 |
| 4. |
Texas Tech. (16-3) |
488 |
| 5. |
Mississippi (16-1) |
484 |
| 6. |
Miami, Fla. (12-4) |
482 |
| 7. |
Louisiana St. (12-5) |
480 |
| 8. |
U.C. Santa Barbara (13-2) |
477 |
| 9. |
Mississippi St. (12-4) |
474 |
| 10. |
Arizona (10-5) |
473 |
| 11. |
Louisville (13-4) |
470 |
| 12. |
Georgia (14-4) |
469 |
| 13. |
N.C. State (14-3) |
465 |
| 14. |
Virginia (14-4) |
462 |
| 15. |
Arizona St. (13-4) |
461 |
| 16. |
East Carolina (13-4) |
457 |
| 17. |
Oklahoma St. (13-5) |
454 |
| 18. |
Michigan (8-7) |
453 |
| 19. |
Texas Christian (11-4) |
451 |
| 20. |
Texas (14-3) |
449 |
| 21. |
South Carolina (12-4) |
447 |
| 22. |
Arkansas (11-5) |
445 |
| 23. |
Coastal Carolina (11-5) |
442 |
| 24. |
Dallas Baptist (12-4) |
438 |
| 25. |
Clemson (14-3) |
436 |
| 26. |
Texas A&M (15-3) |
435 |
| 27. |
Alabama (16-1) |
431 |
| 28. |
Florida St. (12-5) |
430 |
| 29. |
Southern Mississippi (12-4) |
427 |
| 30. |
Texas St. (14-4) |
426 |
| 31. |
Stetson (11-4) |
423 |
| 32. |
Central Florida (15-3) |
421 |
| 33. |
Pepperdine (12-3) |
418 |
| 34. |
Georgia Tech. (11-5) |
416 |
| 35. |
Tennessee (15-2) |
413 |
| 36. |
Duke (12-4) |
409 |
| 37. |
Auburn (13-5) |
405 |
| 38. |
Central Michigan (11-6) |
402 |
| 39. |
Indiana (9-6) |
399 |
| 40. |
Winthrop (11-4) |
396 |
| 41. |
Oklahoma (14-4) |
394 |
| 42. |
U.C. Irvine (8-7) |
392 |
| 43. |
Tulane (15-2) |
389 |
| 44. |
Long Beach St. (10-5) |
385 |
| 45. |
Wichita St. (13-2) |
382 |
| 46. |
Minnesota (8-10) |
377 |
| 47. |
Notre Dame (11-2) |
373 |
| 48. |
Houston (6-9) |
370 |
| 49. |
Oregon St. (5-9) |
368 |
| 50. |
Stanford (5-11) |
365 |
Other Teams Receiving Votes: Kentucky (11-6), Southern California (10-5), North Carolina (12-7), Samford (13-2), Mercer (13-3), Belmont (14-3), San Diego St. (10-6), Fresno St. (9-7), New Mexico (14-4), Connecticut (8-5), Creighton (5-10), Stony Brook (6-9), West Virginia (11-5), Kansas St. (10-7), Washington (9-6), California (5-11), Oregon (8-7), Washington St. (9-7), Baylor (10-6), San Diego (12-4), Cal. St. Fullerton (4-12), U.C. San Diego (17-4), Cal. Poly (5-11), College of Charleston (12-2), Louisiana Tech. (11-6), Florida Atlantic (10-6), Texas-Arlington (12-4), Missouri (11-5), N.C. Greensboro (12-5), East Tennessee St. (12-3), Wofford (14-3), The Citadel (10-6), South Alabama (8-10), Grand Canyon (9-9), New Mexico St. (12-4), Georgia Southern (11-5), Louisiana-Lafayette (8-9), Appalachian St. (11-6), Louisiana-Monroe (12-5), Brigham Young (7-9), Troy (9-8), Sam Houston St. (7-7), McNeese St. (10-7),
Northwestern St. (12-4), Kent St. (7-7), Ball St. (7-9), Western Michigan (9-6), Miami, OH (8-7), Yale (3-7), Wright St. (6-9), N.C. Wilmington (11-5), Illinois (8-5), Iowa (10-5), Ohio St. (6-8), Maryland (10-5), Nebraska (7-8), Campbell (7-9), S.C. Upstate (13-5), Liberty (10-7), Gonzaga (6-10), Loyola Marymount (8-8), Portland (12-4), Santa Clara (12-5), Virginia Commonwealth (9-8), Davidson (13-3), Cal. St. Northridge (10-5), Hawaii (11-6), Seton Hall (6-8), Illinois St. (7-9), Missouri St. (9-8), Rhode Island (8-5), Navy (14-1), Army (6-9).
