Jan. 17, 2008

WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball received a pair of top-30 preseason national rankings Thursday. The Bears were ranked 17^th nationally in Perfect Game Crosschecker's list of the top 100 teams for 2008, while the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association tabbed the Bears 26^th in its preseason Top 35.

One of only 15 Division I programs with at least nine NCAA Regional appearances in the past 10 years, Baylor was 35-27 last season. The Bears reached the title game of the Big 12 Conference Championship and participated in the NCAA Houston Regional for the second consecutive season.

Arizona was the top-ranked team according to Perfect Game Crosschecker, while Arizona State was the top pick in the NCBWA rankings. All 10 baseball-playing Big 12 schools appeared in the Perfect Game Top 100: Texas (3^rd), Missouri (10^th), Oklahoma State (14^th), Texas A&M (26^th), Oklahoma (45^th), Kansas State (50^th), Nebraska (62^nd), Texas Tech (78^th) and Kansas (91^st). Texas was sixth in the NCBWA rankings, followed by Missouri (17^th), Texas A&M (20^th) and Oklahoma State (27^th).

Baylor returns six of nine position starters from 2007 and a seventh player, senior co-captain Paul Miles, made 27 starts last season. Included in that group are all four infield starters: two-time All-Big 12 Conference shortstop and 2008 Preseason All-American Beamer Weems, 2007 Freshman All-American Raynor Campbell, Shaver Hansen and Dustin Dickerson. Ben Booker, a 2007 honorable mention All-Big 12 honoree, returns in left field, while Aaron Miller returns in right.

Eight of 11 letter-winning pitchers from last season return, including co-captain and Preseason All-America closer Nick Cassavechia. The Bears also return sophomore right-hander Kendal Volz, a 2007 honorable mention All-Big 12, and sophomore right-handers Willie Kempf and Wade Mackey, both of whom were fixtures on the mound last season. Senior right-handers Randall Linebaugh and Tim Matthews also return along with southpaws William Draper and Drew Jeffcoat, while the Bears add redshirt freshmen right-handers Craig Fritsch and Shawn Tolleson to the fray.

Earlier during the preseason, Baylor was slotted 28^th in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 40 and 18^th in the Rivals.com preseason rankings.