DALLAS – University of South Alabama baseball will open the 2018 season ranked No. 22 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason poll, as announced by the organization Tuesday.
USA is one of two Sun Belt Conference schools ranked in the NCBWA preseason top 35, with Louisiana also ranked at No. 34. The Jaguars return eight starters from last season's 40-21 squad that captured the SBC Tournament championship and competed in the NCAA Hattiesburg (Miss.) Regional.
Florida, the defending national champion, is ranked first in the poll, followed by Oregon State, Texas Tech, Florida State and TCU to round out the top five.