Jan. 19, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. –
South Carolina is ranked No. 5 in the nation in the D1Baseball first-ever Top 25 released on Monday morning as part of the revamped new website for college baseball. The Gamecocks begin the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 13 hosting College of Charleston at Carolina Stadium in the first of a three-game series.
South Carolina is one of eight SEC schools to be ranked in the preseason poll. Also ranked is Vanderbilt (No. 1), Florida (No. 2), LSU (No. 9), Texas A&M (No. 17), Ole Miss (No. 18), Alabama (No. 20) and Tennessee (No. 25).
The Gamecocks return six position starters, 11 pitchers and 25 letterwinners from last year’s Regional team. Carolina also features a solid group of newcomers that were ranked the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation earlier this fall by Baseball America.
The staff of D1Baseball.com determines the Top 25 rankings.
Rank – Team (2014 Record) – Conference
1. Vanderbilt (51-21) SEC
2. Florida (40-23) SEC
3. Virginia (53-16) ACC
4. UCLA (25-30) Pac-12
5. South Carolina (44-18) SEC
6. North Carolina (35-27) ACC
7. Houston (48-18) American
8. TCU (48-18) Big 12
9. LSU (46-16) SEC
10. Texas (46-21) Big 12
11. Louisville (50-17) ACC
12. Oklahoma State (48-18) Big 12
13. Rice (42-20) C-USA
14. Maryland (40-23) Big Ten
15. Miami (44-19) ACC
16. Texas Tech (45-21) Big 12
17. Texas A&M (36-26) SEC
18. Ole Miss (48-21) SEC
19. Cal State Fullerton (34-24) Big West
20. Alabama (37-24) SEC
21. Florida State (43-17) ACC
22. Oregon (44-20) Pac-12
23. Nebraska (41-21) Big Ten
24. Arizona State (33-24) Pac-12
25. Tennessee (31-23) SEC
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South Carolina won the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2010 and 2011 at the College World Series. South Carolina has 11 College World Series appearances, including six in the last 13 years. The Gamecocks own the second-highest win total in the nation in the last 15 years (2000 to the present) with a 713-289 record. South Carolina is one of five schools to appear in the NCAA Regional every season in the last 15 years, including 11 NCAA Super Regional appearances in that span, one of only two schools to accomplish the feat.
