SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - - Making a move up 11 spots in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Top 25 Poll, the Wilmington University baseball team is tied for ninth in NCAA Division II, released by the organization on Tuesday.
The team ranked 20th last week in the National Poll and went 3-1, defeating Kutztown (who received votes in last week's poll), before sweeping Nyack on Saturday. The only blemish last week came in the championship of the Bill Giles Invitational, an 11-6 loss to Philadelphia in a nonconference game.
The 11 spot jump is tied for the biggest jump in the national poll with Central Missouri who moved up 11 spots to No. 4 overall after going 4-1 last week. Wilmington received 141 points, tied with St. Mary's (Texas) for No. 9 overall. Both Wilmington and St. Mary's ended last week with a 30-12 record.
The ninth place ranking is the highest ever ranking by the Wildcats in program history in the NCBWA Poll. On April 12, 11, Wilmington was ranked 12th overall, earning 175 points after starting 26-3, its highest ranking of the 2011 season.
Delta State remains atop the National Poll, collecting five first place votes and 221 points while sitting at 35-5-1. Mount Olive remains in second with four first place votes and 220 points overall. Mount Olive is 43-4 on the year. Colorado Mesa moves up a spot to No. 3 with 202 points, followed by Central Missouri and USC Aiken who tallied 178 points, moving one spot form No. 6 last week.
The Wildcats also returned to the top of the NCBWA East Region Top 10 poll, picking up six first place votes and 85 total points, jumping Southern New Hampshire. Franklin Pierce also jumped the Penmen, receiving the other three first place votes and getting 84 points overall. Franklin Pierce is No. 20 in the National Poll. Southern New Hampshire fell to third with 74 points, followed by Pace (61 points) and St. Thomas Aquinas (56) in the East Region Top 5.
Wilmington earned two victories over West Chester on Tuesday and squares off against Shippensburg on Wednesday in another nonconference bout. The team returns to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference portion of its schedule on Saturday, hosting Caldwell for a doubleheader on Senior Day.