Gamecocks Ranked No. 5 In The Nation By The NCBWA

Columbia, S.C. (USC SID) – South Carolina is ranked No. 5 in the nation in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Top 35 as announced on Tuesday afternoon.  The Gamecocks begin the 2017 season on Friday, Feb. 17 hosting UNCG at Founders Park.

South Carolina is one of seventh SEC schools to be ranked. Also ranked is Florida (No. 2), LSU (No. 3), Vanderbilt (No. 6), Texas A&M (No. 20), Ole Miss (No. 27) and Mississippi State (No. 32).

South Carolina is a unanimous top five selection in preseason national rankings.  The Gamecocks were also ranked No. 4 in the country by Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball and in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 5 in the nation by Baseball America and Perfect Game.

RANK    TEAM (2016 Record)
1       TCU (49-18)
2       Florida (52-16)
3       LSU (45-21)
4       Florida State (41-22)
5       South Carolina (46-18)
6       Vanderbilt (43-19)
7       Oregon State (35-19)
8       Louisville (50-14)
9       East Carolina (38-23-1)
10      NC State (38-22)
11      Coastal Carolina (55-18)
12      North Carolina (34-21)
13      Clemson (44-20)
14      Cal State Fullerton (36-23)
15      Louisiana-Lafayette (43-21)
16      Arizona (49-24)
17      Texas Tech (47-20)
18      Miami (Fla.) (50-14)
19      Virginia (38-22)
20      Texas A&M (49-16)
21      UCSB (43-20-1)
22      Oklahoma State (43-22)
23      Stanford (31-23)
24      Rice (38-24)
25      Maryland (30-27)
26      Washington (33-23)
27      Ole Miss (43-19)
28      Long Beach State (38-22)
29      Georgia Tech (38-25)
30      UNCW (41-19)
31      Dallas Baptist (44-19)
32      Mississippi State (44-18-1)
33      Tulane (41-21)
34      Houston (36-23)
35      Arizona State (36-23)