Jan. 24, 2012

DURHAM, NC-- Stanford Baseball is ranked No. 2 in the Baseball America's preseason poll, its highest preseason ranking since 2003.

Florida is rated No. 1, followed by Stanford, South Carolina, Arkansas and Arizona.

Stanford will be tested early as according to Boydsworld.com, Stanford has the nation's toughest schedule with home series with No. 6 Rice, No. 10 Vanderbilt and No. 13 Texas, as well as four Pac-12 series within the top-25.

Besides top-five Stanford and Arizona, the newly expanded Pac-12 Conference (with the addition of Utah) features No. 14 UCLA, No. 17 Arizona State and No. 23 Oregon State.

In 2003, the team was ranked No. 3 in the preseason and reached its fifth-straight College World Series, finishing the year at No. 2. This is the eighth time since 1988 Stanford has been a preseason No. 1 or No. 2 selection.

Stanford was a preseason No. 1 in 2002, 2000, 1998, 1997, and 1995 and a preseason No. 2 in 1996 and 1988. Five of those years Stanford reached the College World Series.

Stanford will host a Cardinal and White Scrimmage on Saturday, February 11 at 1 p.m. as fans will get its first glimpse of the baseball program during the intra squad.

That week prior Stanford will push out a three-part series on its Cardinal Channel YouTube page on 36th year coach Mark Marquess as well as host a six-team NorCal Baseball Media Day on February 8 which will be webcast at 10 a.m as well as feature five minute segments on each of the Bay Area's six teams.

Stanford is on a number of social media channels-- facebook.com/stanfordbaseball, twitter.com/stanfordbsb and cardinalchannel.com

Baseball America Top-25 Preseason Poll
1.     Florida     53-19     2
2.     Stanford     35-22     13
3.     South Carolina     55-14     1
4.     Arkansas     40-22     24
5.     Arizona     39-21     NR
6.     Rice     42-21     15
7.     Texas A&M     47-22     7
8.     Louisiana State     36-20     NR
9.     North Carolina     51-16     5
10.     Vanderbilt     54-12     4
11.     Georgia     33-32     NR
12.     Georgia Tech     42-21     20
13.     Texas     49-19     6
14.     UCLA     35-24     22
15.     Texas Christian     43-19     19
16.     Clemson     43-20     21
17.     Arizona State     43-18     9
18.     Miami     38-23     23
19.     Oklahoma     41-19     NR
20.     Florida State     46-19     8
21.     Central Florida     39-23     NR
22.     Mississippi     30-25     NR
23.     Oregon State     41-19     10
24.     Louisville     32-29     NR
25.     Cal State Fullerton     41-17     14