University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Ranked As High As No. 16 In Latest Polls
3/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Baseball Ranked As High As No. 16 In Latest Polls
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? The Southern Miss baseball team, coming off a 3-1 record last week, including a Conference USA weekend series-opening win over perennial power Houston, is ranked No. 16 by Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll and by Baseball America, No. 17 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 23 by Collegiate Baseball. Southern Miss, (17-3, 2-1 Conference USA) opened the defense of its Conference USA regular-season and tournament championships with a 2-1 series win over Houston, winning Friday, 8-3, losing 10-6 on Saturday and winning the third game, 4-3. On Sunday, Southern Miss scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game and one more in the ninth to pull out the victory. The Golden Eagles scored four unanswered runs in the eighth inning to break a 5-5 tie and secure a 9-5 victory over Southeastern Louisiana last Tuesday. Tulane is ranked No. 12 by Baseball America, No. 18 by the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, No. 19 by the NCBWA and No. 20 by Collegiate Baseball, marking the highest-ranked team in Conference USA. East Carolina is ranked No. 18 by Baseball America, No. 22 by Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, No. 23 by the NCBWA and No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball. USF is ranked No. 33 by the NCBWA and both USF and TCU are receiving votes in the Coaches Poll. Southern Miss hosts (No. 5 Collegiate Baseball/No. 8 Baseball America/No. 9 Coaches Poll/No. 10 NCBWA) Ole Miss in a midweek game on Tuesday at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field at 6:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles travel to Tampa, Fla., for a three-game Conference USA weekend series at USF at Red McEwen Field. Friday's game starts at 6 p.m, Saturday's at Noon and Sunday's at 11 a.m.
