2018 NCBWA Preseason Poll

DALLAS – University of South Alabama baseball will open the 2018 season ranked No. 22 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason poll, as announced by the organization Tuesday.

USA is one of two Sun Belt Conference schools ranked in the NCBWA preseason top 35, with Louisiana also ranked at No. 34. The Jaguars return eight starters from last season's 40-21 squad that captured the SBC Tournament championship and competed in the NCAA Hattiesburg (Miss.) Regional.

Florida, the defending national champion, is ranked first in the poll, followed by Oregon State, Texas Tech, Florida State and TCU to round out the top five.

Six Jaguar opponents this season are ranked in the NCBWA preseason poll:  Texas Tech (No. 3), LSU (No. 11), Southern Miss (No. 23), Indiana (No. 24), Oklahoma (No. 33) and Louisiana (No. 34).

South Alabama will begin the season also ranked by Collegiate Baseaball (No. 17), D1Baseball (No. 20), USA Today/Coaches (No. 23) and Baseball America (No. 24).

The Jaguars open the season on Fri., Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. (CT) against Kansas State in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to open the 19th Annual Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach round-robin tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Dugout Club, the baseball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/dugoutclub.