Texas A&M – which opened the season 33rd in the CB360’s exclusive Composite National Rankings (CNR) – has maintained the top spot for a second straight week, in the latest update of the CNR. The Aggies followed four other teams (Vanderbilt, Virginia, TCU and LSU) that have occupied the CNR No. 1 position already at some point during the 2015 season.
– front page photo courtesy of Miami athletics
CLICK HERE for the preseason top-50, with complete release, historical notes, etc.
… week–2 update … week–3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
The current CNR formula has expanded to include 14 elements
(links to all 14 elements included lower down on this page):
• Seven regular national polls/rankings (USA Today coaches; NCBWA writers; Baseball America; D1baseball.com; Perfect Game; Collegiate Baseball magazine; and ESPN Power Rankings)
• Three midseason NCAA Tournament projections (BA, PG and D1Baseball.com)
• Four RPI-type elements (Official NCAA RPI, Warren Nolan RPI, Boyd’s World ISR and the Massey Ratings)
The CNR Top-50 – which made its debut on CB360 in 2009 – can serve as a snapshot for teams that project for making the NCAAs (as at-large entrants, if they don’t win their conference automatic bids). In the past, the weekly top-50 also has included a listing of other projected NCAA qualifiers, for conferences that don’t feature any teams in the top-50 … and those teams also are included at the bottom of this page, based on a composite of various projections and other elements.
After losing its series vs. Ole Miss, Vanderbilt has dropped from #2 to #7 in the current CNR, with the current #2–#4 teams (UCLA, LSU and Louisville) each bumping up two spots while Miami has jumped from 8th to 5th. Current [6] TCU – which dropped 2-of-3 at Kansas State – has slipped back three spots, while [8] Florida is back in the top–10, moving up three positions after sweeping South Carolina.
A couple Pac-12 teams – Arizona State and USC – maintained their spots to round out the current CNR top–10. Florida State (#7 to #12) slipped out of the top–10, after being swept at Notre Dame.
Miami entered the season 18th in the CNR but steadily has moved up the national ladder. Current [11] UC Santa Barbara (25th in the preseason CNR) sits on the fringe of the top–10.
Three weeks ago, UCF was 9th in the CNR and in position to angle for an NCAA national seed or regional host spot … but the slumping Knights now sit 22nd in the most recent CNR update.
Only four teams – UCLA, LSU, TCU and Vanderbilt – have been in the CNR top–10 all season. With the recent drops by the Commodores and Frogs, no teams have been in the CNR top–5 throughout the entire 2015 season.
Here are some more quick notes on the current Top-50 (scroll down for the full listing):
• COMING and GOING – These seven teams have moved into/returned to the CB360 Top-50 following week-9 (results for April 6–12 … plus midweek April 13–16):
[31] Notre Dame – beat Valpo 6–0 & swept Florida State (5–2/4–1/2–1) … lost 0–5 vs. Toledo
[38] Oral Roberts –beat Texas Tech 5–4 & swept at Western Illinois (19–1/10–0/5–0) … 15–5 at OK St.
[43] Bradley – went 1–2 at Dallas Baptist (3–10/7–16/11–6) … beat Iowa 5–4 & won at NIU 12–11
[44] CS Fullerton – won 6–4 at USD, won series at UCD (2–3/10–6/13–3) … lost 2–7 at UCLA
[46] Radford – won 15–7 at Va. Tech, 6–2 at VMI, won series vs. Winthrop (3–2/13–6/3–9)
[47] Connecticut – lost 1–6 at Hartford, won series at UCF (6–4/15–1/1–5) … won at Fairfield 7–0 & Bryant 18–5
[48] Mississippi – lost 5–6 vs So. Miss., won series at Vanderbilt (6–5/5–4/1–11)
(note: ND, Fullerton & Ole Miss were in top–50 earlier this eason)
… and these seven have slipped outside the top-50 (results for April 6–12 … plus midweek April 13–16):
[35] Texas – beat Wichita State 6–4, lost series vs. Oklahoma (2–3/4–1/2–3) … lost 0–5 vs. Sam Houston
[39] Kentucky – lost series at Arkansas (3–5/16–4/3–7) … lost vs. Western Kentucky 3–5, won 5–0 vs. Tenn.
[40] Arizona – lost series at ASU (4–5/7–13/7–2)
[45] San Diego – lost 4–6 vs. Fullerton, won 15–2 vs. UC Riverside, swept UOP (8–0/8–5/12–3) … win 6–1 vs. Long Beach
[47] Indiana – lost 4–5 vs. Cincinnati, swept Rutgers (4–3/6–0/5–4) … lost 2–6 at Indiana St., lost 1–2 vs. Evansville
[48] Wright State – won 2-of-3 vs. Youngstown St. (5–6/13–1/9–0) … won 7–3 vs. Miami (OH) and 15–9 at Cincinnati
[50] Alabama – won 12–1 at Samford, won series vs. Georgia (7–6/1–8/5–2) … won 5–1 vs. UAB
• MOVERS & SHAKERS – These five other teams climbed nine of more spots within the top-50:
Oklahoma (#49 to #37) – lost 2–24 at OK State, won series at Texas (3–2/1–4/3–2) … lost 5–7 at Dallas Baptist
Texas Tech (#46 to #33) – lost 4–5 at Oral Roberts, swept Baylor (8–4/3–2/9–5)
Missouri State (#23 to #14) – won 2–1 vs. SE Missouri, swept at Evansville (13–2/7–5/2–0 … won 3–0 at Kansas
Georgia Tech (#33 to #24) – won 4–3 vs. Mercer, won series vs. UVa (4–14/11–4/4–3)
UC Irvine (#41 to #32) – won 7–4 at San Diego St., won series vs. Long Beach (1–0/10–4/0–5) … lost 3–4 at SDSU
… and these six teams each slid eight or more sports while still remaining within the top-50:
South Carolina (#30 to #49) – won 11–1 vs. Appalachian State & 4–2 vs. Citadel, swept at Florida (3–14/5–12/2–12) … lost vs. Presbyterian 4–7 and Vanderbilt 0–12
San Diego State (#36 to #45) – lost 5–10 vs. Long Beach and 4–7 vs. Irvine, won 2-of-3 at San Jost St. (11–2/6–1/1–11) … won 4–3 vs. Irvine
Rice (#20 to #28) – lost 3–4 at Texas A&M, lost series at UAB (0–4/4–14/13–5) … won 11–0 vs. Houston
Nevada (#32 to #40) – lost 3–8 vs. San Fran., lost series at Fresno (5–4/10–14/1–3) … won at San Fran. 16–4
• SIX SURGING TEAMS – Six teams currently find themselves in the top–25 of the CNR, despite not even being top–50 in the preseason CNR: [10] USC, [14] Missouri State, [17] Florida Atlantic, [20] Iowa, [21] Coastal Carolina and [25] Missouri … Dallas Baptist was at the bottom of the preseason top–50 but now sits at #15.
• THAT’S WHY THEY PLAY THE GAMES – 20 of the teams in the CB360 preseason Top–50 (Composite National Rankings) currently sit outside the top–50, including a couple teams that were in the top–20 of the preseason CNR (#9 Texas and #19 Mississippi State) … other preseason top–50 currently outside the top–50: [21] Oregon, [22] Stanford, [23] Kennesaw State, [27] Clemson, [8] Cal Poly, [29] Liberty, [30] Tennessee, [32] LMU, [35] Alabama, [36] Arkansas, [40] St. John’s [44], Louisiana (Lafayette), [45] Pepperdine, [47] Sam Houston St., and [49] Kentucky.
• FALLING OFF – Among teams still in the top–50, several have plummeted from early-season expectations:
– South Carolina (CNR preseason #11, rose to #6 … but now #49)
– Virginia (presason #2, then #1 for two weeks … now #41)
– Houston (preseason #8, rose to #6 … now #29)
– Rice (preseason #14, stood #9 a month ago … now #28)
– Texas Tech (rose to #9 after week–2 … now #33 after recent surge)
– Ole Miss (preseason #24 … now #48)
– CS Fullerton (preseason #16 … dropped out of top–50, now #44)
– CONFERENCE CALL – Here is the breakdown of the current CB360 top-50, by conference:
• 8 SEC teams (4 top-8; 4 top-16; 5 top-25) – (1) A&M, (3) LSU, (7) Vandy, (8) Florida, (25) Mizzou, (39) Auburn, (48) Ole Miss and (49) S.C.
• 7 ACC teams (2 top-8; 3 top-16; 5 top-25 ) – (4) Louisville, (5) Miami, (12) FSU, (23) UNC, (24) Ga. Tech, (31) ND and (51) UVa
• 5 Pac-12 teams (1 top-8; 3 top-16; 3 top-25): – (2) UCLA, (9) ASU, (10) USC, (30) Cal and (36) OR St.
• 5 Big Ten teams (4 top-25 teams) – (16) Illinois, (18) Maryland, (19) Nebraska, (20) Iowa and (34) Ohio St.
• 5 American Athletic Conf. teams (1 top-25) – (22) UCF, (29) Houston, (35) South Florida, (47) UConn and (50) Memphis
• 4 Big 12 teams (1 top-8; 2 top-16; 2 top-25) – (6) TCU, (13) OK St., (33) Texas Tech and (37) Oklahoma
• 4 Big West teams (1 top-16; 1 top-25) – (11) UCSB, (32) UC Irvine, (42) Long Beach and (44) CS Fullerton
• 3 Missouri Valley teams (2 top-16; 2 top-25) – (14) Missouri St., (15) Dallas Baptist and (43) Bradley
• 2 Conference USA teams (1 top-25) – (17) Florida Atlantic and (28) Rice
• 2 Big South teams– (21) Coastal Carolina and (46) Raford
• 2 Colonial Athletic Assoc. teams– (26) Coll. of Charleston and (27) UNC Wilmington
• 2 Mountain West teams – (40) Nevada and (45) San Diego State
• 1 Summit League team – (38) Oral Roberts
COMPOSITE NATIONAL RANKINGS (CNR) CRITERIA: Teams receive points based on their standings in each poll/rating/projection (60 pts for #1; 59 for #2, etc.). For polls involving voting points (coaches and CB) and the various RPI-type ratings, the CNR adjusts to reward teams that have larger margins in the voting/point totals (whereas two teams with nearly the same voting-point total will be closer in the CNR allotment for that poll). Note that strength-of-schedule typically is factored into RPI formulations … thus the actual SOS numbers only are used early in the season (SOS are not used in the CNR when RPI already are in the mix). For the NCAA field projections, teams are awarded CNR points based on their respective seedings, “last in” and “last out,” etc. (teams likely projected to make the field only via automatic bids do not receive points in the CNR formula).
The polls/ratings/projections are averaged, with 40 points typically then added to each total in order to yield the 100-point benchmark. Early in the season (projected SOS; and preseason conference coaches polls) and late in the season (final-10 games), a maximum bonus/penalty of 2.0 (SOS & conf. poll) or 0.5 points (final-10) is factored into the formula (in that case, 38.0, or 39.5, rather than 40, is added to the poll/rating/projection avg.).
Here are links to the 14 criteria currently used in the CNR:
• National Coaches Poll (USA Today/ESPN; top-25, plus rec. votes)
• National Collegiate Baseball NCBWA Writers Poll (top-30, plus rec. votes)
• DIBaseball.com top-25 (plus rec. votes)
• Baseball America top-25
• Collegiate Baseball magazine rankings (30 teams)
• Perfect Game rankings (top-25)
• ESPN.com Power Ratings (top-25)
• Baseball America projected NCAA Tournament field
• DIBaseball.com projected NCAA Tournament field
• Perfect Game projected NCAA Tournament field
• Official NCAA RPI (top–60)
• WarrenNolan.com RPI (top–60)
• Boyds World ISR (Iterative Strength Ratings; top–60)
• Massey Ratings (top–60)
CB360 Composite National Rankings #10 (top-50, plus projected NCAA field-of-64)
(April 16, 2015)
(rank) Team – voting pts (previous weeks … 2015 preseason)
1. Texas A&M – 98.88 (#1 after week–9 … 3 … 2 … 5 … 8 … 22 … 24 … 24 … #33 preseason)
2. UCLA – 97.83 (4 … 6 … 6 … 7 … 10 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 6)
3. LSU – 95.71 (5 … 5 … 1 … 3 … 4 … 6 … 7 … 5 … 5)
4. Louisville – 94.96 (6 … 11 … 8 … 13 … 18 … 23 … 20 … 10 … 10)
5. Miami – 94.81 (8 … 10 … 12 … 19 … 21 … 17 … 14 … 11 … 18)
6. TCU – 93.31 (3 … 2 … 4 … 1 … 1 … 2 … 2 … 3 … 3)
7. Vanderbilt – 92.66 (2 … 1 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 3 … 3 … 1 … 1)
8. Florida – 92.24 (11 … 4 … 5 … 2 … 3 … 5 … 4 … 4 … 4)
9. Arizona State – 90.41 (9 … 7 … 10 … 14 … 14 … 16 … 13 … 17 … 15)
10. USC – 90.23 (10 … 9 … 14 … 10 … 11 … 24 … 37 … – … –)
11. UC Santa Barbara – 89.47 (13 … 13 … 15 … 17 … 17 … 19 … 17 … 21 … 25)
12. Florida State – 87.95 (7 … 11 … 7 … 12 … 15 … 21 … 22 … 16 … 13)
13. Oklahoma State – 86.77 (12 … 14 … 20 … 26 … 32 … 20 … 18 … 13 … 7)
14. Missouri State – 85.58 (23 … 41 … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
15. Dallas Baptist – 85.47 (15 … 15 … 21 … 27 … 27 … 25 … 25 … – … 50)
16. Illinois – 85.22 (14 … 18 … 18 … 22 … 23 … 37 … 27 … 30 … 37)
17. Florida Atlantic – 81.13 (17 … 24 … 30 … 20 … 26 … 26 … 36 … – … –)
18. Maryland – 75.92 (18 … 31 … 19 … 31 … 29 … 18 … 21 … 20 … 20)
19. Nebraska – 74.77 (19 … 23 … 31 … 48 … – … – … 42 … 36 …. 26)
20. Iowa – 74.21 (25 … 30 … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
21. Coastal Carolina – 73.01 (24 … 29 … 42 … – … – … 49 … – … – … –)
22. UCF (Central Florida) – 72.93 (16 … 8 … 9 … 11 … 9 … 14 … 19 … 33 … 38)
23. North Carolina – 72.49 (31 … 32 … 25 … 23 … 13 … 15 …12 … 14 … 12)
24. Georgia Tech – 70.13 (33 … 38 … 35 … 24 … 31 … 29 … 32 … 34 … 39)
25. Missouri – 69.66 (27 … 34 … 32 … 35 … – … – … – … – … –)
26. College of Charleston – 68.79 (28 … 44 … 49 … – … _ … 39 … 30 … 42 … 34)
27. UNC Wilmington – 62.64 (34 … 40 … 37 … 42 … 40 … – … 50 … – … –)
28. Rice – 61.03 (20 … 22 … 26 … 9 … 12 …. 13 … 11 … 15 … 14)
29. Houston – 60.65 (22 … 16 … 16 … 21 … 22 … 9 … 6 … 7 … 8)
30. California – 60.04 (26 … 21 … 24 … 30 … 41 … 44 … – … – … –)
31. Notre Dame – 60.02 (– … – … 44 … 33 … 39 … 33 … – … – … –)
32. UC Irvine – 59.81 (41 … – … – … – … – … – … – … 39 … 41)
33. Texas Tech – 58.94 (46 … 33 … 27 … 15 … 19 … 7 … 9 … 17)
34. Ohio State – 58.39 (38 … 47 … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
35. South Florida – 57.86 (42 … 45 … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
36. Oregon State – 57.69 (29 … 27 … 22 … 28 … 25 … 28 … 28 … 38 … 31)
37. Oklahoma – 56.54 (49 … – … 34 … 47 … – … – … – … – … –)
38. Oral Roberts – 55.64 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
39. Auburn – 55.57 (43 …. 49 … – … – … 30 … 38 … – … – … –)
40. Nevada – 55.47 (32 … 26 … 29 … 32 … 28 … 35 … 40 … – … –)
41. Virginia – 55.06 (21 … 19 … 17 … 8 … 2 … 1 … 1 … 2 … 2)
42. Long Beach State – 54.75 (37 … – … – … – … – … 36 … – … – … – )
43. Bradley – 54.29 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
44. Cal State Fullerton – 53.96 (– … – … – … 45 … 24 … 40 … 43 … 22 … 16)
45. San Diego State – 53.25 (36 … 35 … 38 … 39 … 33 … 27 … 33 … – … –)
46. Radford – 50.54 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
47. Connecticut – 50.21 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
48. Mississippi – 50.00 (– … 50 … 45 … – … 46 … 30 … 26 … 28 … 24)
49. South Carolina – 48.97 (30 … 17 … 11 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 10 … 12 … 11)
50. Memphis – 47.61 (44 … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
• 18 Other Projected 2015 NCAA Tournament Teams (conferences not in top–50):
(based on composite preseason projections; to be updated in mid-April):
San Diego (WCC) … Mercer (SoCon) … Wright State (Horizon)
Southeastern Louisiana (Southland) … Creighton (BIG EAST)
Louisiana -Lafayette (Sun Belt) … Alabama State (SWAC) … Columbia (Ivy League)
Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun) … Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley)
Stony Brook (America East) … Canisius (MAAC) … Saint Louis (A-10)
Kent State (Mid-American) … Bryant (Northeast) … Sacramento State (WAC)
Navy (Patriot League) … Bethune-Cookman (MEAC)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–9:
35. Texas – 56.66 (20 … 13 … 16 … 16 … 12 … 9 … 8 … 9)
39. Kentucky – 53.01 (39 … – … – … – … – … – … – … 49)
40. Arizona – 51.94 (25 … 33 … 41 … 37 … – … – … – … –)
45. San Diego – 48.43 ( 28 … 36 … 36 … 38 … 45 … – … – … –)
47. Indiana – 47.84 (36 … 28 … 29 … – … – … 49 … 32 … –)
48. Wright State – 47.25 (43 … 43 … – … – … – … – … – … –)
50. Alabama – 46.50 (48 … 41 … 38 … 47 … 41 … 31 … 29 … 35)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–8:
37. Georgia – 47.46 (– … – … 50 … – … 29 … – … –)
42. Oregon – 44.53 (23 … 18 … 6 … 10 … 15 … 18 … 21)
46. Cal State Northridge – 41.38 (40 … 43 … 44 … – … – … – … –)
50. Mississippi – 39.97 (45 … – … 46 … 30 … 26 … 28 … 24)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–7:
34. Oklahoma – 48.31 (47 … – … – … – … – … –)
39. Mississippi State – 44.20 (25 … 20 … 11 … 16 … 19 … 19)
44. Notre Dame – 41.66 (33 … 39 … 33 … – … – … –)
46. Duke – 41.27 (– … – … – … – … – … –)
47. Old Dominion – 38.57 (– … – … – … – … – … –)
48. Stanford – 36.27 (40 … 34 … 34 … 44 … 26 … 22)
50. New Mexico – 35.50 (46 … 35 … 42 … – … – … –)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–6:
34. Campbell – 50.45 (43 … – … – … – … –)
37. Tulane – 46.98 (42 … 31 … 39 … – … –)
44. Milwaukee – 44.14 (– … – … – … – … –)
45. Cal State Fullerton – 43.63 (24 … 40 … 43 … 22 … 16)
49. East Carolina – 41.89 (– … – … – … – … –)
50. Central Arkansas – 41.69 (– … – … – … – … –)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–5:
30. Auburn – 54.27 (38 … – … – … –)
36. Arkansas – 48.48 (32 … 35 … 25 … 36)
45. Georgia Southern – 43.11 (– … – … – … –)
46. Mississippi – 42.03 (30 … 26 … 28 … 24)
47. Kennesaw State – 41.93 (46 … 23 … 23 … 23)
47. Louisiana-Lafayette – 41.93 (– … – … 45 … 44)
50. Georgia – 41.75 (– … 29 … – … –)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–4:
36. Long Beach State – 48.09 (– … – … –)
39. College of Charleston – 45.83 (30 … 42 … 34)
43. Baylor – 42.80 (34 … 43 … –)
47. Columbia – 42.46 (– … – … –)
48. Arkansas State – 42.40 (– … – … –)
49. Coastal Carolina – 42.40 (– … – … –)
50. Clemson – 42.30 (48 … 44 … 27)
– Dropped Out of the Top-50 after Week–3:
29. Georgia – 50.50 (– … –)
38. UNLV – 42.27 (40 … –)
41. Grand Canyon – 41.57 (– … –)
42. Nebraska – 41.36 (36 … 26)
45. Tennessee – 39.02 (41 … 30)
46. Liberty – 38.57 (27 … 29)
47. Loyola Marymount – 38.52 (35 … 32)
49. Indiana – 38.04 (32 … –)
50. UNC Wilmington – 38.01 (– … –)
Dropped Out of Top-50 after Week–2:
31. Florida International
37. Cal Poly (#28 preseason)
39. UC Irvine (41)
45. Louisiana (Lafayette) (44)
46. Sam Houston State (47)
47. Washington
48. Pepperdine (45)
49. St. John’s (40)
50. Fresno State
Note: the following teams dropped out of the top-50 after being in the preseason CNR –
(42) Kent State, (43) Wichita State, (46) Ball State, (48) San Diego and (49) Kentucky (also #50 Dallas Baptist, which later returned to the top-50).