Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Ranked No. 17 in the Pre-Season
2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 21, 2007
TUCSON, AZ -- Long Beach State Baseball is ranked No. 17 in the pre-season poll according to Collegiate Baseball, the 17th time since 1990 the team has been ranked in the top-30 to begin the year.
The Dirtbags return nearly its entire roster from 2007, which advanced to the Regional Championship Game and went 39-20 paced by upwards of 21 underclassmen. The team's pitching staff returns virtually intact, as does its starting lineup, which only lost senior draftees outfielder Robert Perry and second baseman Matt Cline.
This year's team includes: Pre-Season All-American Danny Espinosa, Cape Cod League All-Star Shane Peterson, and fellow all-conference selections, catcher Travis Howell, righthander Andrew Liebel and outfielder TJ Mittelstaedt.
Loaded with the one of the toughest schedules in the nation, year in and year out, this year's docket features 11 teams ranked in the pre-season top-40, headlined by No. 6-ranked Rice, which opens the season at Blair Field on February 22-24. No. 7-ranked San Diego then comes to town on February 26, before No. 9-ranked Wichita State enters the friendly confines February 29-March 2.
Also receiving pre-season consideration are three Big West teams, No. 16 CS Fullerton, No. 26 UC Irvine and No. 35 UC Riverside, while UCLA (No. 18), Oregon State (No. 19), Fresno State (No. 21), Pepperdine (No. 29) and California (No. 39) are also on the schedule.
Area teams will be available for the Southern California College Baseball Media Day on February 13 via the live webcast at the Walter Pyramid, while LBSU will host the annual Leadoff Weekend January 24-26, featuring the Leadoff Dinner, Golf Tournament and alumni game. Plans are in the works to bring back all 29 of the team's Big Leaguers during the team's alumni game on January 26.
Tickets for the season, which includes nine of those top-40 programs are on sale now by calling (562) 985-4949.
| Rank | School | ('07 Final Record) | Points |
| 1. | Arizona | (42-17) | 496 |
| 2. | South Carolina | (46-20) | 493 |
| 3. | Arizona St. | (49-15) | 491 |
| 4. | Mississippi | (40-25) | 487 |
| 5. | North Carolina | (57-16) | 486 |
| 6. | Rice | (56-14) | 483 |
| 7. | San Diego | (43-18) | 481 |
| 8. | Texas | (46-17) | 478 |
| 9. | Wichita St. | (53-22) | 476 |
| 10. | Michigan | (42-19) | 473 |
| 11. | Vanderbilt | (54-13) | 471 |
| 12. | Florida St. | (49-13) | 468 |
| 13. | Clemson | (41-23) | 466 |
| 14. | Miami, Fla. | (37-24) | 464 |
| 15. | Missouri | (42-18) | 461 |
| 16. | Cal. St. Fullerton | (38-25) | 459 |
| 17. | LONG BEACH ST. | (39-20) | 455 |
| 18. | UCLA | (33-28) | 452 |
| 19. | Oregon St. | (49-18) | 451 |
| 20. | Kentucky | (34-19-1) | 447 |
| 21. | Fresno St. | (38-29) | 446 |
| 22. | Texas A&M | (48-19) | 443 |
| 23. | Louisville | (47-24) | 440 |
| 24. | Virginia | (45-16) | 437 |
| 25. | Georgia Tech. | (32-25) | 434 |
| 26. | U.C. Irvine | (47-17-1) | 432 |
| 27. | Mississippi St. | (38-22) | 430 |
| 28. | Baylor | (35-27) | 428 |
| 29. | Pepperdine | (35-22) | 426 |
| 30. | Louisiana St. | (29-26-1) | 423 |
| 31. | Oklahoma St. | (42-21) | 420 |
| 32. | Louisiana-Lafayette | (45-17) | 419 |
| 33. | Southern Illinois | (34-22) | 415 |
| 34. | Southern Miss. | (39-23) | 413 |
| 35. | U.C. Riverside | (38-21) | 411 |
| 36. | Stetson | (42-21) | 408 |
| 37. | Coastal Carolina | (50-13) | 406 |
| 38. | Nebraska | (32-27) | 405 |
| 39. | California | (29-26) | 403 |
| 40. | Oral Roberts | (40-17) | 400 |
