North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Baseball Ranked No. 29 In First Preseason Poll
12/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 19, 2003
RALEIGH, N.C. - Collegiate Baseball magazine has ranked NC State at No. 29 in the nation in its preseason rankings, and has named Wolfpack pitchers Vern Sterry, Michael Rogers and Joey Devine to its preseason All-America team.
The Wolfpack had a magical season a year ago, finishing with a 45-18 record despite playing just 10 games at Doak Field due to stadium renovations. The Wolfpack won 38 games away from campus (as in out of Wake County), advanced to the finals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, won the NCAA Wilson Regional, and made its first-ever trip to the NCAA Super Regionals before falling to Miami one step short of the College World Series. NC State finished the year ranked No. 12 in all three major polls, the team's highest final ranking in 35 years.
A big reason for last year's success was the presence of pitchers Vern Sterry, Michael Rogers and Joey Devine. Sterry was a first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Rogers and Devine were concensus Freshman All-Americans, and both earned regular All-America recognition by at least one media outlet apiece. The trio of Sterry, Rogers and Devine became the first threesome of pitchers from one ACC team to earn All-America honors in the same year.
Collegiate Baseball has once again named Sterry (11-0, 3.25 ERA) a first-team All-American, this time a preseason All-American. In addition, Rogers (12-3, 3.02) and Devine (6-3, 2.19) were named to Collegiate Baseball's third team preseason All-America team.
Collegiate Baseball's preseason rankings listed NC State at No. 29 in the nation, the fifth of five ACC teams ranked in the top 40. Defending national champion Rice shares the top spot with future ACC member Miami. Louisiana State is No. 3, with Georgia Tech at No. 4. Texas, a 2004 opponent for the Wolfpack, is fifth. Rounding out the top 10 are No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 8 Cal State Fullerton, No. 9 Wichita State, and No. 10 Notre Dame.
Other ACC teams that were ranked included Clemson at No. 17, North Carolina at No. 21, and Florida State at No. 24.
