Buckeye State Baseball

After capturing its second straight American Mideast Conference regular season title, setting a new school record for wins in a season (47), and competing in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round last spring, the Malone University baseball team has earned the No. 22 ranking in the 2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll.

The Pioneers ended their 2009 campaign with a 47-16 overall record, a runner-up finish at the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) National Tournament, and a final NAIA National ranking of 17th.  The squad will open its season in early March with its annual spring break trip to Arizona.  Malone’s home opener is slated for March 24th at 4:00 p.m. against Baldwin-Wallace College. 

Ohio Dominican and Rio Grande also received votes. Keep reading for the entire poll.

2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll – (Nov. 17)

1 Lubbock Christian University (Texas) (23)
2 Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
3 Oklahoma City University
4 Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)
5 Lee University (Tenn.)
6 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) (1)
7 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
8 Campbellsville University (Ky.)
9 Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)
10 Bellevue University (Neb.)
11 Tennessee Wesleyan College
12 Lindenwood University (Mo.)
13 University of British Columbia
T-14 William Carey University (Miss.)
T-14 Wayland Baptist University (Texas
16 Union College (Ky.)
17 Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
18 Louisiana State University-Shreveport
19 Cumberland University (Tenn.)
20 Warner University (Fla.)
21 Madonna University (Mich.)
22 Malone University (Ohio)
23 Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
24 Saint Xavier University (Ill.)
25 Northwood University (Texas)

Others receiving votes:
Southern Nazarene University (Okla.) 124; Union University (Tenn.) 94; Texas Wesleyan University 72; Taylor University (Ind.) 62; Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) 59; William Jewell College (Mo.) 59; McKendree University (Ill.) 56; California Baptist University 45; Belhaven College (Miss.) 35; Jamestown College (N.D.) 30; University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 24; University of Houston – Victoria (Texas) 24; Spring Arbor University (Mich.) 17; Bluefield College (Va.) 11; Nebraska Wesleyan University 8; Ohio Dominican University 8; Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) 7; Oklahoma Baptist University 6; Biola University (Calif.) 6; University of St. Francis (Ill.) 3; Georgetown College (Ky.) 1; Indiana Institute of Technology 1; Lambuth University (Tenn.) 1; Mount Mercy College (Iowa) 1; Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) 1; Dickinson State University (N.D.) 1; Dakota Wesleyan University (S.D.) 1; Sterling College (Kan.) 1; Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) 1; William Woods University (Mo.) 1; Park University (Mo.) 1; Peru State College (Neb.) 1; University of Rio Grande (Ohio) 1; University of South Carolina – Beaufort (SC) 1