Jan. 25, 2001

The Notre Dame baseball team continues to rack up high rankings in the national preseason polls, as the USA Today Baseball Weekly/ESPN preseason coaches poll has tabbed the Irish 13th in anticipation of the upcoming season.

Notre Dame previously has been ranked ninth in the Baseball America preseason poll and 14th by Collegiate Baseball magazine. The Irish return seven experienced position starters and nine of their top-10 hitters from the 2000 squad that posted a 46-18 record and advanced to the NCAA Championship. Ten pitchers also return from a Notre Dame staff that ranked 16th in the nation with a 3.93 ERA in 2000.

Notre Dame is one of two “northern” teams listed among USA Today’s preseason top 25, with Nebraska ranked seventh.

Georgia Tech sits atop the poll after receiving 24 of 32 first-place votes, followed by LSU, USC, Florida State, Clemson and Arizona State. Other teams just ahead of the Irish in the poll include Miami, Fla. (8th), Stanford (9th), South Carolina (10th), Rice (11th) and Cal State Fullerton (12th), which edged Notre Dame by one voting point (483-482).

Notre Dame opens its 2001 season by returning to the site of its last game in 2000, as the Irish will participate in the National Bank of Commerce Classic at Mississippi State’s Dudy Noble Field, on Feb. 17-18. Notre Dame will face the University of New Orleans on Feb. 17 at 10:00 a.m. before tangling with MSU-which is ranked 17th in the USA Today poll-in a pair of 1:00 games on the 17th and 18th.

In addition to Mississippi State, seven other 2001 Notre Dame opponents received votes in the USA Today preseason poll: Fresno State (34th-most votes, 27), Virginia Tech (35th, 22), Purdue (46th, 12), Illinois (48th, 9), Rutgers (51st, 7), Florida Atlantic (56th, 2) and Seton Hall (61st, 1).

BASEBALL WEEKLY / ESPN (PRESEASON TOP 25)

Team (2000 Record) Points (1st Place Votes)

1. Georgia Tech (50-16) 987 (24)

2. LSU (52-17) 949 (8)

3. USC (44-20) 947

4. Florida State (53-19) 780

5. Clemson (51-18) 770

6. Arizona State (44-15) 763

7. Nebraska (51-17) 742

8. Miami, Fla. (41-19-1) 706

9. Stanford (50-16) 680

10. South Carolina (56-10) 668

11. Rice (43-23) 612

12. Cal-State Fullerton (38-21) 483

13. NOTRE DAME (46-18) 482

14. Florida (44-23-1) 477

15. Auburn (41-20) 405

16. Baylor (45-17) 373

17. Mississippi State (41-20) 274

18. Georgia (32-26) 268

19. Oklahoma (41-23) 241

20. Texas (46-21) 191

21. Central Florida (43-19) 177

22. Long Beach State (31-25) 171

23. Alabama (41-24) 140

24. Stetson (48-16) 115

25. Tulane (38-22-1) 112

Others receiving votes: East Carolina (109), Evansville 70), Pepperdine (68), Louisiana-Lafayette (58), Wichita State (56), Wake Forest (50), Tennessee (46), Minnesota (44), Fresno State (27), Virginia Tech (22), Florida International (21), Penn State (20), New Orleans (19), Texas A&M (19), Oklahoma State (17), UCLA (16), Houston (15), Texas Tech (15), San Jose State (14), Southern Mississippi (13), Purdue (12), North Carolina (11), Illinois (9), Ball State (8), Loyola Marymount (8), South Alabama (8), Rutgers (7), Creighton (6), Nevada (4), Kentucky (4), Ohio State (4), Florida Atlantic (2), Kent State (2), Arizona (1), Old Dominion (1), Georgia Southern (1), Seton Hall (1), Campbell (1), The Citadel (1), California (1).

Teams in italics are on Notre Dame’s 2001 schedule.