[B][I]Wildcats Receive Highest Ranking Since 2008 School-Record 44-win Season[/I][/B]
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Riding the third-longest winning streak in the storied history of the Southeastern Conference, Kentucky has soared to No. 2 in the nation in the latest weekly poll released by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, with UK climbing from No. 16 last week, it was announced on Monday afternoon.
Kentucky (21-0, 3-0 SEC) is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA, just behind unanimous No. 1 Florida. UK’s ranking is the highest for the Wildcats since a No. 2 ranking in Collegiate Baseball on March 17, 2008, fresh after the Wildcats swept Alabama to open conference play.
UK’s 21-game winning streak to open the season ranks third in SEC history, behind the 23-game winning streak by the 2010 NCAA Champions LSU Tigers and a 22-game streak by the 2000 South Carolina Gamecocks. The streak ranks as a school record, eclipsing the 19-0 star in 2007 and 2008.
The Wildcats swept the two-time defending NCAA Champion South Carolina Gamecocks on SEC opening weekend to extend the record and emerge as the early story of college baseball. In polls released on Monday, UK has moved to No. 16 by Baseball America and No. 6 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. In addition, UK freshman two-way star A.J. Reed was named the SEC Freshman of the Week and the SEbaseball.com National Player of the Week.
The Wildcats return to action on Wednesday, traveling to face Cincinnati at Marge Schott Stadium at 4 p.m. ET.
[B]Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s [/B]
[B]NCAA Div. I Poll[/B]
[B](As of March 19, 2012) [/B]
[B]Rank School (Record) Points Previous[/B]
1. Florida (19-1)
[B]2. Kentucky (21-0) 493 16[/B]
3. Stanford (13-2) 492 3
4. Arkansas (19-2) 489 5
5. Florida St. (16-2) 486 6
6. South Carolina (15-4) 484 2
7. North Carolina (16-4) 482 4
8. Louisiana St. (16-4) 479 10
9. Miami, Fla. (16-4) 476 11
10. Rice (15-6)
11. N.C. State (15-3) 471 19
12. Cal. St. Fullerton (12-7) 470 8
13. Texas A&M (16-5) 468 9
14. Arizona (16-4) 465 13
15. Stetson (15-4) 464 14
16. UCLA (15-4)
17. Oregon (13-5) 458 12
18. Arizona St. (12-7) 452 18
19. Texas Christian (11-6) 451 –
20. Georgia Tech. (14-6) 450 20
21. Texas (10-8)
22. Louisville (14-6) 446 22
23. Georgia (15-6) 444 23
24. Purdue (14-3)
25. Oregon St. (14-5) 439 28
26. Mississippi (15-5) 437 15
27. Baylor (14-7) 434 –
28. Central Florida (16-5) 432 29
29. Appalachian St. (17-3) 429 –
30. Texas St. (13-6) 424 30
