Nov. 11, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) will begin the 2009 season as the No. 1 program, according to the 2009 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced today (Nov. 11). The Warriors won the 2008 Avista-NAIA World Series and went 58-7 on the year. The title was their NAIA-record 16^th overall and third straight. LCSC, who earned all 21 of the first-place votes, returns senior catcher and 2009 NAIA Preseason All-American Brian Ward.

The national runners-up, Lee (Tenn.) University, nabs the No. 2 slot with 572 total points. The Flames won a school-record 63 games en route to the Atlantic South Super Regional Championship last year. Lee made its third World Series appearance overall and earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Embry-Riddle (Fla.) checks in at No. 3 with 533 total points. Following the Eagles is No. 4 Biola (Calif.) and No. 5 Spring Arbor (Mich.).

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the 24 conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Feb. 24, 2009.

For more information on NAIA baseball, please click here.

2009 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll – (Nov. 11)

RANK	LAST YEAR	SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES)	2008 FINAL RECORD*	TOTAL POINTS
1	2	Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) (21)	58-7	591
2	3	Lee University (Tenn.)	63-10	572
3	6	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)	44-18	533
4	20	Biola University (Calif.)	35-18	498
5	19	Spring Arbor University (Mich.)	40-9	491
6	11	Bellevue University (Neb.)	55-17	479
7	14	Union College (Ky.)	48-18	478
8	4	Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)	46-12	446
9	8	University of Mobile (Ala.)	43-16	415
10	7	University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)	43-6	409
11	RV	Cumberland University (Tenn.)	46-21	363
12	RV	Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)	39-17	352
13	12	University of St. Francis (Ill.)	42-11	343
14	9	Tennessee Wesleyan College	44-16	340
15	18	Louisiana State University-Shreveport	47-16	328
16	10	Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)	36-14	319
17	25	Texas Wesleyan University	46-16	310
18	15	Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)	43-21	304
19	24	Missouri Baptist University	39-16	249
20	17	Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.)	37-16	246
21	23	Warner University (Fla.)	35-24	211
22	NR	Ohio Dominican University	40-16	172
23	NR	Jamestown College (N.D.)	32-20	118
24	16	Madonna University (Mich.)	37-14	112
25	NR	Belhaven College (Miss.)	41-17	88

Others receiving votes:

College of Idaho (Idaho) 83; William Penn University (Iowa) 73; University of Houston - Victoria (TX) 73; Montreat College (N.C.) 60; Malone University (Ohio) 51; Faulkner University (Ala.) 50; Kansas Wesleyan University 43; Saint Xavier University (Ill.) 32; Morningside College (Iowa) 20; Saint Thomas University (Fla.) 20; Park University (Mo.) 19; Union University (Tenn.) 18; Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) 13; California Baptist University 12; The Master's College (Calif.) 4; Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) 3; Georgetown College (Ky.) 3; Berry College (Ga.) 1; King College (Tenn.) 1; Friends University (Kan.) 1; Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) 1; Dickinson State University (N.D.) 1; Northwood University (Texas) 1; College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 1; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 1; York College (Neb.) 1; Saint Ambrose University (Iowa) 1; Southern Wesleyan University (S.C.) 1; University of British Columbia 1; Taylor University (Ind.) 1; William Carey University (Miss.) 1

* Record as submitted by conference rater