TUSCON, Ariz. – In the first collegiate baseball preseason poll of the year, the UCF baseball team was ranked No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball News Top 40 Preseason Poll. The Golden Knights have won back-to-back Atlantic Sun Championships including last season after a 41-22 campaign.
UCF is one of three A-Sun schools to be ranked in the preseason poll. Florida Atlantic was tabbed No. 21 while Stetson garnered the No. 32 spot.
The Golden Knights should possess one of the nation’s best pitching staffs after finishing the 2002 season ranked 20th in the nation in ERA. A trio of senior hurlers, Von David Stertzbach, Lincoln Mincks, and Mark Michael return for the Golden Knights after going a combined 21-10 a year ago.
Two talented sophomore outfielders also return in Dee Brown and Clay Timpner. Brown was voted the A-Sun Freshman of the Year while also garnering Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball News Freshman All-America Honors. Brown hit .397 for UCF in 2002 with a team-best 56 RBI.
Timpner was also named a Freshman All-America by Collegiate Baseball News after hitting .361 with five home runs in 2002.
The Golden Knights open the 2003 campaign at Jay Bergman Field February 8 vs. Florida International. UCF will enjoy the home field advantage this season, as the Golden Knights will play 34 games at the friendly confines of Jay Bergman Field.
Collegiate Baseball News Top 40 Preseason Poll
Rank School ('02 Final Record) Points Final '02 Rank
1. Texas (57-15) 496 1
2. Florida St. (60-14) 493 9
3. Southern California (37-24) 490 12
4. Rice (52-14) 489 7
5. Georgia Tech. (52-16) 485 5
6. Louisiana St. (44-22) 484 11
7. Cal. St. Fullerton (37-22) 479 28
8. South Carolina (57-18) 477 2
9. Stanford (47-18) 475 4
10. Houston (48-17) 470 10
11. Mississippi St. (34-24-1) 468 NR
12. Arizona St. (37-21) 464 26
13. Long Beach St. (39-21) 462 27
14. Miami, Fla. (34-29) 458 17
15. Wake Forest (47-13-1) 457 14
16. Richmond (53-13) 456 13
17. Baylor (36-26) 450 NR
18. Clemson (54-18) 449 3
19. Notre Dame (50-18) 447 6
20. South Alabama (42-19) 445 25
21. Florida Atlantic (46-21) 440 15
22. Nebraska (47-21) 438 8
23. Tulane (36-27) 437 NR
24. S.W. Missouri St. (43-21) 432 NR
25. California (29-27) 430 NR
26. UCF (41-22) 424 NR
27. Oklahoma (35-27) 423 NR
28. James Madison (44-16) 419 NR
29. Ohio St. (38-20-1) 416 NR
30. Wichita St. (47-17) 411 22
31. Kent St. (37-22) 408 NR
32. Stetson (42-19) 405 NR
33. Georgia (32-29) 403 NR
34. North Carolina (43-21) 398 19
35. Texas Tech. (42-20) 395 24
36. East Carolina (43-20-1) 392 NR
37. Southern (45-10) 390 NR
38. Florida International (41-20) 386 NR
39. Oklahoma St. (37-21) 380 NR
40. Auburn (34-26) 379 NR