LSU is No. 2 in the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason poll released Tuesday from NCBWA headquarters in Dallas. The poll voters include 32 college baseball writers and related media from throughout the nation.The Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball magazine preseason poll released last month.LSU advanced to the College World Series last season, finishing the year with a 49-19-1 mark. The Tigers posted an SEC-record 23-game win streak from April 22-June 1 and captured the SEC Western Division and SEC Tournament titles.LSU returns 25 players who were significant contributors to the ’08 squad. The Tigers open the 2009 season on February 20 when they play host to Villanova in the New Alex Box Stadium.North Carolina received the No. 1 preseason nod for the first time in NCBWA history. The Tar Heels were the College World Series runners-up in both 2006 and 2007, and they finished third at the 2008 CWS.Previous preseason No. 1 choices by the NCBWA have been LSU (1998, 2001), Southern California (1999), Miami (Fla.) (2000), Stanford (2002), Texas (2003, ‘06), Cal State Fullerton (2005), Rice (2004, ‘07), and Arizona State (2008). Fresno State is defending NCAA champion after Oregon State won the baseball crown in Omaha in both 2006 and ’07.This week’s poll has representation from 13 different conferences among the 302 baseball-playing schools in the 2009 NCAA Division I ranks.2009 NCBWA Preseason PollRank-School (Conference, 2008 Record, Final ’08 Poll Place)1 North Carolina (Atlantic Coast, 54-14, 3)2 LSU (Southeastern, 49-19-1, 6)3 Rice (Conference USA, 47-15, 7)4 Texas A&M (Big 12, 46-19, 14)5 Georgia (SEC, 45-25-1, 2)6 Florida State (ACC, 54-14, 8)7 Arizona State (Pacific-10, 49-13, 9)8 Texas (Big 12, 39-22, 21)9 Stanford (Pac-10, 41-24-2, 4)10 Cal State Fullerton (Big West, 41-22, 11)11 Louisville (Big East, 41-21, NR)12 Miami (Fla.) (ACC, 53-11, 5)13 Georgia Tech (ACC, 41-21, 26)14 Mississippi (SEC, 39-26, NR)15 UC Irvine (Big West, 42-18, 10)16 Oklahoma State (Big 12, 44-18, 17)17 Fresno State (Western Athletic, 47-31, 1)18 San Diego (West Coast, 44-17, 18)19 Baylor (Big 12, 32-26, NR)20 Missouri (Big 12, 39-21, 19)21 Pepperdine (WCC, 38-21, NR)22 Coastal Carolina (Big South, 50-14, 13)23 Kentucky (SEC, 44-19, 23)24 Florida (SEC, 34-24, NR)25 UCLA (Pac-10, 33-27, NR)26 Clemson (ACC, 31-27-1, NR)27 East Carolina (C-USA, 42-21, NR)28 Oklahoma (Big 12, 36-26, NR)29 Arizona (Pac-10, 42-19, 12)30 Michigan (Big Ten, 46-14, 28)31 Oregon State (Pac-10, 28-24, NR)32 TCU (Mountain West, 44-19, NR)33 Southern California (Pac-10, 28-28, NR)34 Tulane (C-USA, 39-22-1, NR)35 Wichita State (Missouri Valley, 48-17, 15)
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Alabama (35-28), Arkansas (34-24), Auburn (28-28), Bethune-Cookman (36-22), California (33-21-2), Charlotte (43-16), College of Charleston (39-20), Dallas Baptist (37-19), Elon (44-18), Houston (42-24), Lamar (35-23), Long Beach State (38-21), Missouri State (40-17), NC State (42-22), Nebraska (41-16), New Orleans (43-21), Notre Dame (33-21-1), Ohio State (30-26), Oral Roberts (48-14), Oregon (0-0), Sam Houston State (37-25), San Diego State (31-28), Santa Clara (33-22), South Carolina (40-23), Southern Miss (42-22), St. John’s (42-16), Tennessee (27-29), UC Davis (35-24), UC Santa Barbara (35-21), UNC Wilmington (44-17), UTSA (39-19), Vanderbilt (41-22), Virginia (39-23).