BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team is ranked nationally for the first time in school history as the Greyhounds are 21st in the country this week in both the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 and the American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Top 30 poll announced Tuesday.
The Hounds, who are 26-7 overall and have clinched the top seed in the 2014 Landmark Conference Tournament with a 14-4 regular season mark in conference action, had received votes in seven of the first nine D3baseball.com polls this season including 33 points last week before jumping to 21st this week with 142 points.
The squad was 29th in the ABCA poll a week ago with 31 points but improved that total to 154 points this week to improve to 21st in the country.
"It is an honor to be recognized for the first time in school history," stated Head Coach Paul Englehardt. "The players have worked extremely hard to be the best they can be. The assistant coaches work harder than most, and are committed to making the kids the best they can be. It is not only about our team, but our entire school and administration. Without the support of our faculty, or our Athletic Director Scot Dapp, we wouldn't have the opportunity to play the schedule we do. It takes everyone supporting the efforts of our team. The kids will appreciate the ranking, and work hard to honor it."
Moravian's large jump in the polls comes after the squad defeated nationally-ranked Kean University, 8-1, last Monday. Kean is currently ranked eighth in both polls and is the third nationally-ranked squad that Moravian has defeated this season. The Hounds also defeated then No. 17 Keystone College on February 23 and then No. 25 Adrian (Mich.) College on March 3, and Adrian is still receiving votes in both polls.
The Greyhounds' 26 wins also include a pair of victories over Heidelberg (Ohio) University on March 2, and Heidelberg is currently 27-5 and ranked No. 7 in both polls this week.
As of Tuesday morning, the Hounds schedule is ranked as the 19th toughest in the nation by D3baseball (http://www.d3baseball.com/seasons/2014/schedule?tmpl=sos-template). Moravian has a game left on its schedule versus Rowan University on May 9, and the Profs are currently 11th in the D3baseball poll and 15th in the ABCA poll.
The Greyhounds will return to action for the first time as a Top 25 team on Tuesday, April 22 in a non-conference game at Neumann University beginning at 4:00 p.m.
To view the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll, visit http://www.d3baseball.com/top25/2014/2014-week-9.
To see the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball poll, visit http://www.muhlenberg.edu/pdf/main/athletics/abcapoll_042214.pdf.
