West Virginia 21st in Preseason NCBWA Poll

The West Virginia University baseball comes into the 2021 season ranked 21st in the Preseason National Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 35.

The 2021 poll voters come from among 40 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. After a preseason Top 35 listing, the remainder of the polls will feature a national Top 30 beginning with the Feb. 22 NCBWA DI regular season poll.

The Mountaineers went 11-5 to open the 2020 season and was the best for the program since 2009 before the season was canceled due to COVID-19. West Virginia appeared to be riding the momentum after hosting a regional in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1955 the year prior.

The West Virginia pitching staff had a team ERA of 2.43, ranking third in the Big 12 Conference at the end of last season, and returns two big arms in Ryan Bergert and Jackson Wolfe.

The Mountaineers were voted 14th in the D1baseball.com Top 25 and selected sixth in the Big 12 Conference preseason rankings.

NCBWA Top 25

1. Florida

2. UCLA

3. Vanderbilt

4. Texas Tech

5. Ole Miss

6. Louisville

7. Mississippi State

8. Arkansas

9. Texas

10. Miami (FL)

11. NC State

11. TCU

13. LSU

14. UC Santa Barbara

15. Virginia

16. Florida State

17. Arizona

18. Georgia Tech

19. East Carolina

20. Tennessee

21. West Virginia

22. Oklahoma

23. South Carolina

24. Georgia

25. Auburn

26. Oklahoma State

27. Duke

28. UCF

29. Arizona State

30. Alabama

30. Wake Forest

32. Clemson

33. Texas A&M

34. Michigan

35. Dallas Baptist

Also Receiving Votes

Alabama State, Baylor, Belmont, Cal State Fullerton, California, Coastal Carolina, Connecticut, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Kansas State, Long Beach State, Louisiana, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Sacramento State, San Diego, San Diego State, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Stanford, Stetson, Texas State, Tulane, UC Irvine, UNCW, USC, Washington, Washington State, Wichita State.

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