Jan. 16, 2007

WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball was listed as the nation's 17^th-best collegiate baseball program since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1999, according to a recent study released Tuesday by Baseball America. The publication's study focused on 11 categories, including winning percentage, NCAA Tournament appearances, tradition, All-Americans and players drafted in the top 10 rounds.

With 150 total points, Baylor was the third highest-rated Big 12 Conference program behind only top-rated Texas and 11^th-rated Nebraska. Miami, Fla., Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, Rice, Louisiana State, Florida State, Clemson, South Carolina and Southern California rounded out the top 10 of the 64-team list. Other Big 12 programs on the list were Texas A&M (24^th), Oklahoma State (29^th), Oklahoma (35^th), Texas Tech (40^th) and Missouri (59^th).

Baseball America last did such a study in 1997 and focused only on the 1990s. Baylor ranked 80^th in that study; the Bears' 63-spot jump was the second-largest behind only Tulane, which climbed from 83^rd in 1997 to one spot ahead of Baylor at No. 16 in this study. With that, Baylor ranked second in the publication's list of top five "rising" programs; Rice and Wake Forest, both up 59 spots, tied for third on the list, followed by Nebraska (up 51 spots).

Programs were awarded one point for every .010 above a .500 winning percentage, five points for each regional appearance, seven points for each super regional appearance, 10 points for each College World Series appearance, 20 points for each national title, one point for each CWS appearance prior to 1999, five points for each first-team All-American, three points for each second-team All-American, two points for each third-team All-American, two points for each player drafted in the top 10 rounds and two points for each former player to play in the Major Leagues during the period of study.

With 19 players drafted in the top 10 rounds since 1999, Baylor tied Louisiana State, Nebraska, North Carolina and Texas A&M for 11^th in that category. The Bears tied for 15^th in total All-Americans since 1999. Baylor also is one of only 20 programs to make at least seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the last eight years.

Baylor opens its 2007 season Feb. 9-11 at the Minute Maid Park College Classic. The Bears face Houston at 7 p.m. Friday, Rice at 7 p.m. Saturday and Vanderbilt at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Baseball America's Top 64 Programs of the 64-Team Era

1. Texas

2. Miami, Fla.

3. Stanford

4. Cal State Fullerton

5. Rice

6. Louisiana State

7. Florida State

8. Clemson

9. South Carolina

10. Southern California

11. Nebraska

12. Georgia Tech

13. Arizona State

14. North Carolina

15. Long Beach State

16. Tulane

17. Baylor

18. Florida

19. Houson

20. Notre Dame

21. Alabama

22. Wichita State

23. Arizona

24. Texas A&M

25. Mississippi State

26. Tennessee

27. Oregon State

28. Georgia

29. Oklahoma State

30. UCLA

31. Arkansas

32. Pepperdine

33. Mississippi

34. Auburn

35. Oklahoma

36. Wake Forest

37. East Carolina

38. Fresno State

39. South Alabama

40. Texas Tech

41. Florida Atlantic

42. Oral Roberts

43. Louisiana-Lafayette

44. Southern

45. North Carolina State

46. Ohio State

47. Central Florida

48. Minnesota

49. Virginia Commonwealth

50. Stetson

51. Missouri State

52. Richmond

53. Southern Mississippi

54. Michigan

55. California

56. Florida International

57. San Diego State

58. Rutgers

59. Missouri

60. Kent State

61. Washington

62. Ball State

63. Coastal Carolina

64. Vanderbilt