Virginia Baseball Tabbed to Finish Seventh in ACC Preseason Poll

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Jan. 19, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – – The 2006 Virginia Baseball Team was picked to finish seventh in the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll. UVa returns 15 letterwinners led by Preseason All-American Sean Doolittle from last year’s NCAA Regional team that finished 41-20 overall and advanced to the 2005 ACC Championship Game. Virginia also returns three Freshman All-Americans on the mound in Doolittle, Robert Poutier and Pat McAnaney.

Clemson has been selected as the top pick for the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball season, as determined by a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches. Clemson received eight first-place votes and a total of 139 points in balloting. The Tigers recorded a 43-23 record a year ago and came within one game of the College World Series.

Georgia Tech was picked to finish second in the conference, receiving two first-place votes and 128 total points. The Yellow Jackets, the defending ACC Champions, return eight starters in the field and eight of their top 10 pitchers from last year’s squad that went 45-19 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals.

North Carolina is the coaches’ pick to finish third, having received two first-place votes and 126 points. The Tar Heels, who posted a 41-19-1 record last season, return 19 letterwinners for the 2006 campaign.

Rounding out the preseason poll in predicted order of finish are Florida State (107 points), Miami (95), NC State (86), Virginia (72), Wake Forest (59), Boston College (41), Maryland (38), Virginia Tech (30) and Duke (15).

Virginia finished 6-3 against Clemson and Georgia Tech in 2005. The Cavaliers won the last three of the five meetings with Clemson last season which included two wins in the 2005 ACC Tournament and a win in the final game of the three-game series in Clemson, S.C. UVa swept the three-game series with the Yellow Jackets, but lost in the ACC Tournament Championship game to Georgia Tech.

Virginia opens up its season Feb. 10 against The Citadel in the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Cavaliers open up ACC play at Georgia Tech on Mar. 10-12.

2006 Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
School Points 2005 Results
1. Clemson (8) 139 43-23, 21-9 ACC
2. Georgia Tech (2) 128 45-19, 22-8 ACC
3. North Carolina (2) 126 41-19-1, 17-10-1 ACC
4. Florida State 107 53-20, 19-11 ACC
5. Miami 95 41-19-1, 19-10-1 ACC
6. NC State 86 41-19, 17-13 ACC
7. Virginia 72 41-20, 14-14 ACC
8. Wake Forest 59 28-30, 12-18 ACC
9. Boston College 41 37-20, 17-8 Big East
10. Maryland 38 25-31, 7-23 ACC
11. Virginia Tech 30 23-28, 7-19 ACC
12. Duke 15 14-39, 5-25 ACC