Frog Baseball ranked No. 19 in Baseball America preseason poll
1/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 5, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas - For the second straight season, the Horned Frog baseball team achieved its highest-ever preseason ranking, as Baseball America has ranked the Frogs No. 19 in the country. The ranking comes on the heels of a successful 2005 campaign that saw the Frogs share the 2005 Conference USA Postseason Tournament title, their second in as many seasons, and make their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA playoffs. TCU won a school-record 41 games a year ago and finished with a 41-20 overall record.
In 2006, the Frogs welcome back seven starters in the field, two weekend starters, as well as an experienced bullpen. In addition, the recruiting class was ranked No. 21 earlier this season by Collegiate Baseball. Included in the class are three four-year transfers, four junior college transfers and nine freshmen. In other polls previously released, the Frogs were ranked No. 27 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 31 by RosenblattReport.com.
The Frogs are the only Mountain West Conference team ranked in the top 25. The Frogs also have four other ranked teams on their schedule this season. They will face two of those teams -- Tulane (12) and Rice (7) -- in the opening weekend at the Astros College Classic. The other ranked teams that appear on the Frogs' schedule are Arkansas (18), a team the Frogs will face at the UT-Pan American tournament, and Arizona State (16). whom they will face in Corpus Christi at the Whataburger Classic.
Baseball America also projected its NCAA field of 64, a list that features three more teams the Frogs will face in 2006. Baylor, Florida Atlantic and Houston are all projected to make the playoffs at the end of the season.
The Frogs open the season in Houston at the Astros College Classic on Feb. 11 with a noon tilt against No. 12 Tulane.
Here is a look at the top 25 schools, as ranked by Baseball America. TCU opponents are in italics.
1. Texas
2. Clemson
3. Florida
4. Georgia Tech
5. Cal State Fullerton
6. North Carolina
7. Rice
8. Oregon State
9. Tennessee
10. Missouri
11. Pepperdine
12. Tulane
13. Mississippi State
14. South Carolina
15. Florida State
16. Arizona State
17. USC
18. Arkansas
19. TCU
20. LSU
21. Fresno State
22. Long Beach State
23. Mississippi
24. North Carolina State
25. California
