University of Southern Indiana Baseball was ranked 33rd nationally in theCollegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll as it prepares for the first pitch of 2016 on February 19 at the USI Baseball Field. The last time the Screaming Eagles were ranked 33rd in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, they won the national championship in 2010.
The Eagles have been ranked six times in the last nine years, topping the poll in 2011 and 2015.
USI throws out the first pitch in seven weeks when it hosts a three-game series with 35th-ranked Grand Valley State University February 19-21 to start a 10-game non-conference homestand. The homestand includes the Dunn Hospitality Classic (February 26-28) and the USI Invitational (March 4-6). The Dunn Hospitality Classic has USI scheduled to take on the GLVC West Division’s and defending Midwest Region champion Truman State University February 26 and 28 and 28th-ranked Ashland University February 27.
The Eagles hit the road during spring break to play in the Perfect Game’s Spring Swing in Marietta, Georgia, March 8-9. USI’s opponent on March 8 is to be determined and is scheduled to play Georgia College and State University on March 9.
USI will play non-conference games against the GLVC West Division’s 40th-ranked Drury University (March 11-13), 22nd-ranked Quincy University (19-20), and the University of Missouri-St. Louis (March 30 and April 27).
Locally, the non-GLVC schedule has the Eagles traveling across the city to play the University of Evansville (March 18) and across the Ohio River to visit Kentucky Wesleyan College (April 12), while hosting Oakland City University (April 20).
The 2016 GLVC Schedule features a 28-game conference slate against teams only from the East Division. League play starts March 25 at the USI Baseball Field with a weekend series against Bellarmine University (March 25-26). USI’s final home series of the year is April 30 and May 1 when Saint Joseph’s College visits Evansville before the Eagles finish the regular season against the University of Indianapolis on the road May 7-8.
The GLVC Tournament is scheduled to be at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, May 12-15. The NCAA II Midwest Regional is set for May 19-22 (site to be determined), while the NCAA II Championship Series is May 28-June 4 in Cary, North Carolina.
Collegiate Baseball Div. 2 Poll 12-22-15
Rank  Team (2015 Final Record)
1. Tampa (43-13)
2. Catawba (47-15)
3. Mercyhurst (40-11)
4. Franklin Pierce (48-4)
5. Minnesota St. (43-9)
6. St. Cloud St. (54-5)
7. Florida Tech. (38-13)
8. West Alabama (42-11)
9. Colorado Mesa (48-9)
10. Cal. Poly Pomona (46-15)
11. St. Edwards, TX (40-13)
12. St. Mary’s, TX (41-16)
13. Angelo St. (42-18)
14. Southern Arkansas (40-18)
15. North Georgia (38-17)
16. Henderson St. (33-21)
17. Nova Southeastern (39-13)
18. Millersville (45-11)
19. Seton Hill (43-13)
20. Lynn (35-15-1)
21. Winston-Salem St. (42-15)
22. Quincy (40-17)
23. S. New Hampshire (31-14)
24. Missouri Southern St. (40-14)
25. Armstrong St. (34-14)
26. U.C. San Diego (36-21)
27. West Georgia (33-15)
28. Ashland (38-19)
29. Mt. Olive (39-16)
30. Alabama-Huntsville (36-11-1)
31. Colorado St.-Pueblo (41-16)
32. Lander (22-26)
33. Southern Indiana (28-21)
34. Azusa Pacific (34-10)
35. Grand Valley St. (34-18)
36. Trevecca Nazarene (36-18)
37. Flagler (32-15)
38. Emporia St. (39-16)
39. West Florida (30-18)
40. Drury (33-24-1)
