TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team is ranked third in the 12th 2013 regular-season Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Poll.
The ranking of third marks USC Aiken's highest ranking since being ranked second in the May 4, 2009 poll. The Pacers were last ranked third in the April 2, 2012 poll.
The Pacers' highest ranking ever was No. 1. USC Aiken reached the top spot in the national poll twice during the 1993 campaign.
USC Aiken was ranked 10th in the 2013 preseason poll released on Dec. 21, 2012. The Pacers moved up five spots to fifth in the first regular-season national tally. The Pacers remained fifth in the second regular-season poll.
The Pacers were ranked sixth in the third, fourth and fifth regular-season polls. USC Aiken was ranked 13th in the sixth regular-season tally. USC Aiken had moved back up to eighth in the seventh regular-season poll. USC Aiken was ranked sixth in the eighth regular-season tally. USC Aiken was tabbed 10th in the ninth regular-season poll. USC Aiken was ranked ninth in the 10th regular-season poll. Last week, USC Aiken was ranked fifth.
The Pacers have now been ranked in 29 straight national polls. The Pacers were ranked inside the top-30 in the final 16 national polls of the 2012 season.
USC Aiken is one of four Peach Belt Conference teams ranked in the latest national tally. Lander is ranked 10th, while Armstrong Atlantic State is 21st and UNC Pembroke is 22nd.
Mount Olive is currently the No. 1 team in the nation. Delta State is just ahead of the Pacers in second. Colorado Mesa is fourth in the latest poll, while Missouri Western is fifth.
Winners of 10 of its last 11, USC Aiken will close out its 2013 regular-season in the upcoming week.
USC Aiken (37-9, 21-6 PBC) closed out last week by taking two out of three games from Peach Belt Conference foe Columbus State at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
USC Aiken's dominating series-clinching 19-4 win over Columbus State on Sunday, April 21 allowed the Peach Belt Conference-leading Pacers to move to 21-6 in league play this season. The Pacers now need just one more Peach Belt Conference victory in their series with Georgia Southwestern this weekend to guarantee an outright Peach Belt Conference championship.
USC Aiken after its series win over Columbus State has now claimed 10 of its 12 three-game series this season (Lincoln Memorial, Carson-Newman, Shepherd, Francis Marion, Flagler, Young Harris, North Georgia, Augusta State, Lander and Columbus State). The Pacers swept Lincoln Memorial, Shepherd, Flagler, Young Harris, North Georgia, Augusta State and Lander.
USC Aiken won all of its home three-game series in the 2013 regular-season.
USC Aiken will next close out the two-game 2013 Outback Cup against rival Augusta State at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
USC Aiken claimed game No. 1 of the 2013 Outback Cup with a 4-1 10-inning victory over Augusta State on Wednesday, March 27.
USC Aiken is 8-1 all-time in Outback Cup games.
The second game of the 2013 Outback Cup will serve as Senior Day for the Pacers. The game is also the home regular-season finale for USC Aiken. The action in the regular-season home finale will be able to be followed live on USC Aiken's official athletic website at www.PacerSports.com.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Poll (4/23/13) - Click Link to Access
