DURHAM, N.C. - After four weeks of being the bridesmaid, Rice finally moved to the top of Baseball America's Top 25 college baseball rankings. The Owls wrap up a stellar Western Athletic Conference season this weekend against Louisiana Tech.
The Owls, ranked second the last four weeks behind Clemson, lost a midweek game to Texas but swept host Fresno State to end WAC play with a 25-2 record. It's the first time the Owls have held the top spot since the May 31, 1999 poll. South Carolina, with the Southeastern Conference's best regular-season record, moved up to second.
Florida State swept then top-ranked Clemson and moved up to third, one of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the top 10. Wake Forest (ranked fifth), Clemson (sixth) and Georgia Tech (10th) are the others. The SEC also has a strong presence with four teams among the first dozen, with the Gamecocks leading the parade, followed by LSU (ninth), Florida (11th) and Alabama (12th).
The bottom of the rankings saw three new teams, two entering the rankings for the first time this year. No. 23 Texas Tech finished tied for second in the Big 12 Conference on the strength of a 15-game winning streak. Similarly hot is No. 25 Louisville, the second-place finisher in Conference USA, which has won 13 of 15. Arizona State re-entered the rankings at No. 24 after a series win against Pacific-10 Conference leader Southern California.
The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25 rankings. Records indicated are as of May 19 and do not include ties.
Team W-L Last Week Previous
1. Rice 44-11 3-1 2
2. South Carolina 44-12 5-0 4
3. Florida State 51-12 3-0 5
4. Texas 43-13 4-0 8
5. Wake Forest 42-9 3-1 3
6. Clemson 44-12 2-3 1
7. Houston 41-14 4-0 10
8. Stanford 37-16 2-2 7
9. LSU 38-17 3-0 15
10. Georgia Tech 44-12 3-1 12
11. Florida 40-15 3-0 11
12. Alabama 44-12 1-3 6
13. Nebraska 39-17 4-0 14
14. Wichita State 42-13 3-2 9
15. North Carolina 39-17 2-2 13
16. Cal State Northridge 40-15 4-0 16
17. Cal State Fullerton 34-17 1-0 17
18. Notre Dame 41-14 4-0 20
19. Richmond 48-8 2-0 21
20. South Alabama 38-16 2-2 18
21. Southern California 31-22 1-3 19
22. San Jose State 42-15 1-0 23
23. Texas Tech 40-16 3-0 NR
24. Arizona State 32-19 4-1 NR
25. Louisville 39-14 4-1 NR