LEWISTON, Idaho – The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team has again been picked as the team to beat in the NAIA as the three-time defending-national champion Warriors were selected to the top spot in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll.
The Warrior claimed all 17 first-place votes in the poll as they seek their fourth straight Avista NAIA World Series title and the program's 20
th overall. No other NAIA baseball team has won more than three titles.
This is the third straight season the Warriors have been picked as the NAIA's preseason top-ranked team. LCSC is coming off a 40-14 record from a year ago when it won 21 of its final 23 games over the final two months, including a 6-4 win over Faulkner of Alabama in the Series' championship game.
LCSC has the longest active streak of being ranked in the NAIA Top 25 poll with 164 straight. LCSC has been ranked No. 1 60 times in the poll, far and away more than any other team.
LCSC had seven players drafted from that team and another sign a free-agent contract. LCSC does return outfielders
Raymond Pedrina and
Tyler McDowell, along with infielder
Brock Ephan. The Warriors also have several pitchers returning.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Association of Independent institutions.
LCSC is expected to finalize its 2018 schedule in the next month. The Warriors again will play host to the Avista NAIA World Series on May 25-June1 at Harris Field in Ed Cheff Stadium.
2017 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll (November 7, 2017)
| RANK |
PRVS* |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2017 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (17) |
40-14 |
467 |
| 2 |
2 |
Faulkner (Ala.) |
54-12 |
452 |
| 3 |
3 |
Oklahoma City |
50-10 |
434 |
| 4 |
12 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
50-11 |
392 |
| 5 |
9 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
50-9 |
385 |
| T6 |
4 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
45-20 |
380 |
| T6 |
6 |
Missouri Baptist |
45-16 |
380 |
| 8 |
10 |
Hope International (Calif.) |
35-18 |
352 |
| 9 |
11 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
51-11 |
341 |
| 10 |
7 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
43-21 |
337 |
| 11 |
8 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
45-17 |
319 |
| 12 |
14 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
40-21 |
296 |
| 13 |
18 |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
41-20 |
275 |
| 14 |
5 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
41-23 |
270 |
| 15 |
13 |
Middle Georgia State |
46-16 |
250 |
| 16 |
17 |
Tabor (Kan.) |
44-17 |
241 |
| 17 |
19 |
Clarke (Iowa) |
46-14 |
239 |
| 18 |
16 |
University of Northwestern Ohio |
44-12 |
230 |
| 19 |
15 |
IU Southeast (Ind.) |
48-15 |
215 |
| 20 |
22 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
36-21 |
158 |
| 21 |
RV |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
35-19 |
154 |
| 22 |
T20 |
Indiana Tech |
44-14 |
144 |
| 23 |
23 |
Texas Wesleyan |
47-15 |
137 |
| 24 |
25 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
42-17 |
105 |
| 25 |
24 |
Webber International (Fla.) |
39-17 |
72 |
Others receiving votes: LSU Shreveport (La.) 65; Huntington (Ind.) 53; Jamestown (N.D.) 51; Bryan (Tenn.) 43; Cumberlands (Ky.) 42; Vanguard (Calif.) 36; Friends (Kan.) 25; Antelope Valley (Calif.) 17; Concordia (Neb.) 17; Concordia (Mich.) 6; Westmont (Calif.) 4; Judson (Ill.) 3.