CofC Baseball Ranked 22nd in College Baseball Lineup Pre-Season Poll
The College of Charleston baseball team was picked 22nd in the College Baseball Lineup (formerly Ping !Baseball) Division I Pre-Season poll, it was released today. Catcher Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) was named third-team Pre-Season All-American as well.
Charleston was also picked 35th in the Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division I Pre-Season poll, it was announced in late December.
The Cougars were ranked 26th in the final Ping !Baseball poll of the 2010 season.
Kral was third on the team last season in batting average with a .344. He had 74 hits, 57 RBI and 15 home runs.
Monte Lee led the 2010 team to a 44-19 record and a loss to No. 11 Coastal Carolina in the NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional Final. It was the fourth time in program history that the Cougars tallied at least 40 wins in a single season.
Returning this season is Southern Conference Player of the Year Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.), who had 21 home runs and 88 RBI in 2010 and was recently named to the Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Pre-Season All-American. Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) also returns. He topped several offensive categories for the Cougars including batting average (.378), hits (102), runs (76), doubles (27) and stolen bases (20). Also returning is David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif.), who led the team in strikeouts last season with 68.
The Cougars open the 2011 season against Kentucky Feb. 18 as part of the CofC Invitational. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. For season ticket and single-game ticket information visit www.CofCSports.com or call the ticket office at 843.953.CofC (2632).
Link to full poll: http://www.collegebaseballlineup.com
Wofford's Doyle Honored
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Wofford College catcher/designated hitter Mac Doyle has been named to the College Baseball Lineup preseason All-America third team.
Doyle, a junior from Conway, South Carolina, was second on the team last season with a .377 batting average and was the team leader with 16 home runs. His 75 RBIs led the team and set a new school single-season record. Among conference leaders, he was second in total bases, first in slugging percentage, second in doubles, first in triples, fourth in batting average, third in RBIs and fourth in home runs.
Last season he was named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-America second team. In addition, he earned All-Atlantic Region first team honors.
The Wofford baseball team will begin the 2011 season on February 18 against Xavier at Russell C. King Field.
Rutledge Named Preseason All-American By College Baseball Lineup
Rutledge tied a Samford record with 11 saves in 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford sophomore pitcher Lex Rutledge has been named preseason second-team All-American by College Baseball Lineup, the publication's website announced recently.
Rutledge, who is coming off a stellar freshman season for the Bulldogs in 2010, has also been named preseason All-American by Louisville Slugger and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Rutledge, who came to Samford from Tupelo, Miss., tied a Samford record with 11 saves, serving as the team's closer in 2010. He also posted a record of 5-1 and an impressive 1.71 ERA in 47.1 innings of work. He also led the team in strikeouts with 65 on the season.
At the conclusion of the season, Rutledge was named second-team All-Conference in the Southern Conference. He was also named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team.
Rutledge spent the first part of the summer playing for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League, and then he went on to participate in the trials for the 2010 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Rutledge and the Bulldogs open the 2011 season on Feb. 18 when they play host to Western Illinois in the first game of a three-game series at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The first pitch for the season-opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
College Baseball Lineup (formerly Ping !Baseball)Top 30
1, Florida
2, UCLA
3, TCU
4, Vanderbilt
5, Oklahoma
6, Clemson
7, South Carolina
8, Arizona State
9, Florida State
10, Texas
11, Oregon
12, Cal State Fullerton
13, Arizona
14, Connecticut
15, Texas A&M
16, Coastal Carolina
17, LSU
18, Rice
19, UC Irvine
20, Virginia
21, Fresno State
22, College of Charleston
23, Auburn
24, Miami
25, Louisville
26, Baylor
27, Stanford
28, Arkansas
29, Georgia Tech
30, Florida Atlantic
College Baseball Lineup (formerly Ping !Baseball) Preseason All-Americans
Second Team
C Mac Doyle, Wofford
RP Lex Rutledge, Samford
Third Team
C Rob Kral, College of Charleston