TUCSON, Ariz. – The UCF baseball team advanced one spot in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s first regular season top 30 poll of the 2003 season. The Golden Knights moved up to No. 25 in the latest rankings, up from the No. 26 spot they held in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s Preseason Fabulous 40.
The Golden Knights are one of four Florida teams ranked in the poll, behind Florida State (No. 2), Miami (No. 14) and Florida Atlantic (No. 21).
UCF’s first opponent of the 2003 season, Florida International, is the only other Florida school ranked in the poll at No. 28. FIU has opened the season a perfect 5-0 after last weekend’s three-game sweep of Eastern Michigan in Miami. FIU will face Miami Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Miami before heading north to Orlando.
The Golden Knights and Golden Panthers will meet for a two-game series, Saturday (Feb. 8) and Sunday (Feb. 9) at Jay Bergman Field. Both games will start at 1 p.m.
NCAA Div. I Poll (As of Feb. 3, 2003)
www.baseballnews.com
1. Texas (3-0)
2. Florida St. (3-0)
3. Southern California (0-0)
4. Rice (0-0)
5. Georgia Tech. (0-0)
6. Louisiana St. (0-0)
7. Cal. St. Fullerton (3-0)
8. South Carolina (0-0)
9. Arizona St. (11-1)
10. Houston (0-0)
11. Mississippi St. (0-0)
12. Stanford (2-3)
13. Long Beach St. (1-2)
14. Miami, Fla. (0-0)
15. Wake Forest (0-0)
16. Richmond (0-0)
17. Baylor (0-0)
18. Clemson (0-0)
19. Notre Dame (0-0)
20. South Alabama (0-0)
21. Florida Atlantic (3-0)
22. Nebraska (0-0)
23. Tulane (0-0)
24. SMS (0-0)
25. UCF (0-0)
26. Oklahoma (0-0)
27. James Madison (0-0)
28. Florida International (5-0)
29. Ohio St. (0-0)
30. Wichita St. (0-0)