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After sweeping Arizona in Tucson, and winning 4 of 5 games this past week, Oregon St. stayed at #3 in the Baseball America Top 25 poll this week. North Carolina remained #1, despite the fact that the Tar Heels suffered their first loss of the season, dropping their series opener against Miami.
In fact, there was no movement at all in the top 12, despite the fact that the majority of those teams took a loss; though none suffered more than one. Makes one wonder if the pollsters were actually watching, or if they were pre-occupied with the end of basketball conference tournament season, and the NCAA basketball tournament selections.
Oregon, who swept a 2 game series against Texas St. and then took 2 of 3 from USC in their Pac-12 season opening series, was the first team to see any movement, as the Ducks moved up from #16 to #13.
Fullerton St. stayed at #8, after sweeping Oral Roberts, and UCLA remained #11, after beating Cal-St. Northridge and then sweeping Washington, even though they needed extra innings and a second day, after a fog-out midway in the first game.
Being swept by the Beavers swept Arizona, previously ranked #20, right out of the top 25.
Arizona St., who will be in Corvallis this weekend for a 3 game series with the Beavers, beat New Mexico, but then dropped 2 of 3 games against Washington St., and as a result, the Sun Devils dropped from #14 to #20.
San Diego is the only other team from the west that is ranked. The Toreros, who Oregon St. will visit in 2 weeks, for a Thursday through Saturday series Easter Weekend, climbed back into the poll, at #25, after sweeping BYU.
The Beavers remained at #2 in the Collegiate Baseball, though they are only 2 points behind North Carolina. The USA Today Coaches' Assistant Sports Information Directors' poll still has Oregon St. at #4.
After the first weekend of the Pac-12 season, Oregon St., UCLA, and California, who swept Utah in Salt Lake City, share first place, all at 3-0. Oregon and Washington St. are 1 game back, at 2-1.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com