DURHAM, N.C. - Baseball America announced its preseason top 25 today and Rice earned the 11th spot. The Owls are the five-time defending WAC champions and last season, were 47-20 overall.Rice has one preseason All-American in shortstop Eric Arnold. Last year, Arnold hit .325 with a WAC-leading 15 home runs. He was third in the WAC in RBI with 65. The Owls also return three members of the 2001 all-WAC first team: third-baseman Hunter Brown and outfielders Austin Davis and A.J. Porfirio.
The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25 rankings. Records indicated are 2001 final records. Team W-L 2001 Final Rank
1. Stanford 51-17 2
2. Clemson 41-22 17
3. Miami 53-12 1
4. Southern California 45-19 4
5. Notre Dame 49-13 15
6. Florida State 47-19 10
7. Louisiana State 44-22 9
8. Nebraska 50-16 6
9. Texas 36-26 NR
10.Tulane 56-13 5
11.Rice 47-20 13
12.Wichita State 42-24 NR
13.Georgia Tech 41-20 NR
14.South Carolina 49-20 12
15.Cal State Fullerton 48-18 3
16.Baylor 37-24 NR
17.Mississippi State 39-23 19
18.Arizona State 37-20 22
19.North Carolina 31-26 NR
20.Mississippi 39-23 NR
21.Wake Forest 44-18 18
22.Cal State Northridge 34-22 NR
23.Oklahoma State 42-22 NR
24.Washington 29-23 NR
25.Rutgers 42-17 25