Nicely, done Kendall (and Mark, as well, I presume). As with any rankings, everyone will have some disagreements on placement, but I think yours comes much closer to my perspective than either BA or CBN. My only qualms with your rankings, if you want to call it that, is I think you've got both CSF and Oregon State 3 - 7 places too high at this point pre-season, given the relatively large turnover and key departures...and, conversely, I think you've got Clemson, Tulane and TCU, amongst others, 3 - 5 places too low. However, in the scheme of things, those are minor quibbles. IMO, you're the only one giving the West the respect it deserves, particularly in regards to ASU and UCLA.
Just one point on UNC. I have no problem with their being in the Top 5, as I have them there myself, but I think as good as their returning lineup is, you are blowing it up a little too much-- especially with regards to their 2006 team AVG of .321 (which you highlight in your ACC preview)-- as much of that AVG is inflated by the Tar Heels utter joke of an OOC schedule, in which hardly play any non-conference games against teams with an RPI ranking under 100, and with most of their OOC schedule comprised of teams with a 150+ RPI ranking.
Posted on 1/10 11:42 AM | IP: Logged
i asked the question last year and will ask it again this year. Who voted on these rankings? Lst year it was bsically just you, Kendall. Are there others contributing this year?
Posted on 1/10 1:03 PM | IP: Logged
Yes, there were contributions, though my opinion was the majority %.
Posted on 1/10 1:15 PM | IP: Logged
Originally posted by Kendall: Yes, there were contributions, though my opinion was the majority %.
Geez. How biased can one get!
Posted on 1/10 1:23 PM | IP: Logged
At least nobody can claim I am biased toward the NEC.
Posted on 1/10 2:29 PM | IP: Logged
I can't really argue with Rice being #1. They have all the tools to win it all this season.
I'd probably have South Carolina #2 and Virginia #3 though. Both of those teams are going to be great. I still think UNC is overrated big time, but they will probably prove me wrong. I just can't see them effectively replacing Miller, Bard, and Hovis. But that's why they play the games I suppose.
As a whole, great job on the rankings! I was happy to see the Pokes 15th.
Posted on 1/10 7:44 PM | IP: Logged
Watch out for Texas A&M making their way into the top 20 mid season......
Posted on 1/11 7:21 PM | IP: Logged
Like last year, they may find their way into the top 25 during the year, but they will not finish the year in the polls.
Posted on 1/11 8:25 PM | IP: Logged
No doubt you have put thought into this, but why is NC so high? I assume you've read some of my diatribe on the boards with the ACC and NC in particular. Record wise they will be great because of their SOS, but IMHO they just don't have the talent returning. Tell me where I'm wrong.
a)Thier ISR and RPI will be terribly hurt because of their SOS and only playing 18 in conf games against good teams. They may have the worst SOS of the entire league. b)What offense? Just because they return 6 starters (based on 75 AB in league) doesn't mean that they are great. They were 6th in their own league last year in Batting Average....8th in Runs Scored(out of 8 real teams....which is basically not very good). They only return (1) all conference hitter/fielder from last year's first or second team (Horton). They lost Cox, their leading HR hitter and 2nd best hitter. After Horton, thier next leading returning hitter was Flack who may have had a .385 BA in total (scewed by the OOC sched), but was 36th in BA in the league last year......36th!!!!!! The other returning conference starters were 47th, 48th, 79th, and 82nd....out of 93 total league starters. Only 1 returning starter from last year was in the top 35 hitters in the league. I mean give me a break, Ok State has 3 of the top 16 hitters in league returning (plus the top hitter from the summer league-Mangini) vs NC's 1 of the top 35, yet NC is considered a powerhouse offense worthy of being ranked #2 on offense alone? 4 of NC's returning starters were in the bottom 50% of their league last year. c) What pitchers returning? They lost 2 first round draft picks and their top 3 all together. They return only 1 starting conference pitcher from last year and only two others with any real league experience (one had a 7.02 league ERA). Combined they were all 6-3 in conf. I didn't look, but that may be the least amount of returning pitching for any ACC team.
I mean I don't get it. It just appears that you have them ranked on last year and the hype that surrounds them this year. I mean I admit that I don't really consider much for the incoming players, because history shows us that every player coming in has huge credentials, but few actually live up to them, but I just don't see what they have that ranks them that high.
Can you tell me what I'm not seeing?
Posted on 1/12 6:41 PM | IP: Logged
Deleted
This post was edited on 1/12 8:47 PM by 242004
Posted on 1/12 8:20 PM | IP: Logged
KR,
Good job on the rankings.
As far as the comment by the poster related to TAMU making it into the top 20, it ain"t gonna happen. I hope it does, since my best friend's son is on the squad, but realistically, they are a year away, at least.
Be good, David
Posted on 1/12 8:26 PM | IP: Logged
Here is a composite that one of the posters on the Big West board out here came up with, using the Baseball America, NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball and Rivals polls. His criteria was that in order to qualify, a team had to be ranked in the Top 40 in at least 3 polls. The USA Today poll is not out yet, so it is not included.
Rk School Avg 1 Rice 1.0 2 South Carolina 3.8 3 North Carolina 4.0 4 Clemson 4.3 5 Miami 4.5 6 Arkansas 7.0 7 Virginia 7.5 8 Vanderbilt 8.5 9 Texas 10.5 10 Georgia Tech 11.5 11 CS Fullerton 11.8 12 Nebraska 13.8 13 Arizona State 14.0 14 Oregon State 15.7 15 Wichita State 15.8 16 Tulane 16.8 17 Mississippi 17.3 18 Florida State 18.0 19 Pepperdine 19.3 20 Tennessee 19.3 21 UCLA 19.5 22 Oklahoma State 20.5 23 TCU 22.0 24 Georgia 22.5 25 Evansville 26.0
Posted on 1/13 9:34 AM | IP: Logged
Dave:
That's a good composite. However, I'm curious how Texas is ranked #9 in that composite with rankings of #4, #6, #7, and #6 in the four preseason polls as respectively listed. Of course, it will be interesting (as always) to revisit these lists in May/June.
Posted on 1/14 10:08 AM | IP: Logged
Looks like a math error to me, LOL, and the Horns should be bumped up a couple of spots.
Posted on 1/14 4:25 PM | IP: Logged
I figured as much.
And honestly, these things mean little to me now. It's only important in May when the committee is looking at rankings.
Posted on 1/15 4:34 PM | IP: Logged
To me, it always seems the SEC teams are heavily favored in the preseason polls and find a way to fall
From Baseball America: Florida = Preseason rank (3) Final rank (UR) Tennessee = Preseason rank (9) Final rank (UR) Mississippi State = Preseason rank (12) Final rank (UR) South Carolina = Preseason rank (14) Final rank (13) Arkansas = Preseason rank (18) Final rank (UR) LSU = Preseason rank (20) Final rank (UR) Mississippi = Preseason rank (23) Final rank (11)
Could the SEC be (dare i say it) overrated?
Posted on 1/15 6:05 PM | IP: Logged
hmmm NO
Posted on 1/15 8:21 PM | IP: Logged
Originally posted by 20hornet06: Watch out for Texas A&M making their way into the top 20 mid season......
Cha-Ching.. Predictions been on the money so far. Two wins against Rice already, sounds like they could make a decent run this year.
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