AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken (26-6, 9-3 PBC) picked up wins in three of four games this week to remain steady at ninth in the eighth in-season release of the Collegiate Baseball Magazine Division II Top 30 poll.  Winners of nine of their last 10, the Pacers finally had their streak of seven consecutive polls with upward movement halted.  Dating back to March 2005, the Pacers had appeared in 53 of the past 55 polls including a streak of 43-straight. (PHOTO BY: Scott Webster)

Mount Olive retained their top spot in the land for the third-straight week improving to 33-2 on the season.  Sonoma State leap-frogged West Alabama and Grand Valley State for second while Southern Arkansas rounded out the top five.  Spots six through nine remained the same as last week. 

USC Aiken remains the top-ranked Peach Belt Conference squad for the third week in a row.  Columbus State rose two spots to 11th while Armstrong Atlantic State returned to the poll following a one-week absence at 22nd.  Francis Marion slipped five notches to 27th to round out the conference contingent. 

The Pacers opened the week with a home win over North Greenville 13-4 before traveling to Milledgeville, Ga. for a key conference clash with GCSU.  In a record-setting performance on Friday night, senior Scott Wandless struck out a career-best 15, one shy of the school record, as the Pacers posted the 6-1 victory.  Wandless became the school’s all-time strikeout leader with 262.  A doubleheader split on Saturday kept the Pacers atop the PBC standings and gave USCA its fourth league series win in four tries this season. 

The number nine ranking is the highest since the Pacers peaked at nine last year on March 19.  USC Aiken was tabbed eighth in the 2006 preseason poll, their best ranking since finishing the 1993 season fifth in Division II. 

USC Aiken will host Benedict College on Wednesday, March 26 at 6:00 PM at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

Collegiate Baseball Magazine
Division II Top 30 Coaches Poll
March 24, 2008--Poll #8

1. Mount Olive..............................33-2 480 1
2. Sonoma State...........................25-1 464 3
3. West Alabama..........................26-5 448 2
t4. Grand Valley State..................13-1 424 3
t4. Southern Arkansas.................24-3 424 5
6. Tampa......................................22-4-1 398 6
7. West Chester...........................21-2 384 7
8. Franklin Pierce.........................13-2 362 8
9. USC Aiken...............................26-6 360 9
10. Emporia State.........................21-3 328 15
t11. Delta State.............................21-8 320 10
t11. Columbus State.....................23-10 320 13
13. Metro State.............................23-5 284 21
14. UC San Diego.........................21-7 268 16
15. Erskine...................................27-3 248 14
16. CSU-Chico.............................21-7 242 19
17. St. Joseph’s (Ind.).................16-3 224 26
18. Wayne State (Neb.)...............12-3 202 17
19. St. Edwards (Texas)..............21-7 200 18
20. Angelo State...........................26-8 190 25
21. Central Missouri State............17-5 168 20
22. Armstrong Atlantic State.........19-7 154 RV
23. Ouachita Baptist.....................25-7 124 12
24. St. Mary’s (Texas).................21-7 120 24
25. Florida Tech...........................24-8-1 106 RV
26. CSU-Stanislaus......................22-8 78 11
27. Francis Marion.......................22-12 68 22
28. Catawba.................................22-11 42 NR
29. Mansfield................................14-7 26 NR
30. Ashland...................................11-5 16 28

Dropped Out: #23 Abilene Christian, #27 Carson-Newman, #29 Augusta State, #30 Saint Leo