Cavaliers Picked To Finish Sixth In ACC

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Jan. 19, 2000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Atlantic Coast Conference’s nine headcoaches tabbed Virginia sixth after the Cavaliers received 31 points in the2000 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll. UVafinished tied for sixth in the poll with the North Carolina State Wolfpackas both teams received 31 points. Virginia returns 17 lettermen and sevenstarters from last years team that finished 21-35 overall, 8-15 (seventh)in the conference.

The coaches selected Florida State as the top pick to win theconference championship in 2000. The Seminoles return seven starters fromtheir 1999 squad which played in the College World Series Championship gameand finished second in the Baseball Weekly, Baseball America and CollegiateBaseball polls. Florida State tallied 79 points including seven of thenine first place votes.

Georgia Tech fell into second after gathering 67 points, twelvebehind pre-season favorite Florida State. The Yellow Jackets finished38-20, 12-12 in the league last season and will return ten starters fromthe 1999 campaign.

The Clemson Tigers fell into the third place slot with 66 points,including one first place vote, while defending ACC Champion Wake Forestplaced fourth in the balloting with 53 points and received the oneremaining first place vote. The Demon Deacons were followed by NorthCarolina who finished fifth with 48 points, NC State and Virginia tied forsixth with 31 points each, Maryland took eighth with 16 points and Dukerounded out the poll in ninth with 14 points.

Rated as one of the top leagues in the country, the ACChistorically plays some of the nation’s best teams. This year’s opponentslist looks more like a who’s who list for college baseball featuring 19teams that participated in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, including nine teamsthat were ranked in the final national polls.

The ACC baseball season opens with the six-team ACC/Disney BaseballBlast which will be held Friday through Sunday, January 28-30, at Disney’sWide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Joining Clemson, NorthCarolina and Wake Forest in the event will be Central Florida, Miami andRice. All three opponents are members of Baseball America’s pre-season top25 with Miami at #5, Rice #14 and Central Florida coming in at #23.

Virginia will begin its 2000 season with a three-game series withthe Louisiana State Tigers on February 12-13 in Baton Rouge, La.

2000 ACC Coaches Preseason Predicted Order of Finish

(#) denotes first place votes