BEVERLY, Mass. – Winners of ten of their last eleven games, the Endicott baseball team has earned the sixth spot in the first New England Regional rankings, released on Thursday by the NCAA. This is the highest that Endicott baseball has been ranked in the NCAA regional polls.
Endicott is one of three teams from the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) to be ranked in the region, three spots behind Western New England, with whom they split a doubleheader earlier this spring, and two spots above Salve Regina, who they will face tomorrow in Newport, R.I.
The 12:00 pm double-header with the Seahawks, who have won ten straight, is crucial not only in the region, but in the conference, where the Gulls are 13-1 and Salve Regina is 12-2.
Other familiar foes appear ranked in the region, including #1 Southern Maine, who defeated the Gulls twice this year, and two schools from the New England Small Collegiate Athletic Conference (NESCAC). The Gulls fell to #5 Amherst 5-2 but defeated #7 Bowdoin 11-3, both in Florida to start the year.
Endicott has also played #9 Salem State, falling 1-0 in 11 innings, and #10 MIT, who they defeated 3-2 on March 29th.
The NCAA regional rankings are the biggest factor in deciding which teams receive at-large bids into the NCAA Regional tournament in May. The poll is voted on by a regional committee, made up of Division III coaches.
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NEW ENGLAND |
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Reg. |
Overall |
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1 |
Southern Maine |
19-1 |
25-4 |
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2 |
Wheaton (Md.) |
20-5 |
23-8 |
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3 |
Western New England |
23-7 |
24-8 |
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4 |
Eastern Connecticut State |
21-7-1 |
21-8-1 |
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5 |
Amherst |
18-5 |
18-6 |
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6 |
Endicott |
23-11 |
23-11 |
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7 |
Bowdoin |
20-9 |
20-9 |
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8 |
Salve Regina |
19-4 |
24-7 |
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9 |
Salem State |
15-5 |
18-11 |
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10 |
MIT |
18-5 |
18-6 |
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Regional Rankings - As of April 25