Francis Marion ranked 14th in final NCAA II Baseball Poll

The Francis Marion University baseball team is ranked 14th in the final 2009 Collegiate Baseball Magazine Division II Top 30 poll.
The Patriots finished the year with a 38-15-1 record, the second-highest win total in the program’s history. Francis Marion finished second during the Peach Belt Conference regular season, won the program’s first-ever Peach Belt Tournament title, and earned its fourth NCAA Division II national tournament bid in the past seven years, placing third at the Southeast Regional.
The squad posted a 5-5 mark against nationally ranked opponents in 2009, and closed the season by winning 17 of its final 19 contests.
Dating back to the 2005 season, the Patriots have now appeared in 78 of the past 84 national polls. FMU has landed in the national Top 30 poll at the end of each of the past five seasons.
Four PBC squads are listed in the final poll, which is topped by Division II national champion Lynn University.


2009 Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA Division II Poll - June 1, 2009 (FINAL)

Rank Team Record Points Last Week
1. Lynn 46-16 480 5
2. Emporia State 49-15 464 3
3. UC San Diego 41-15 444 1
4. Southern Arkansas 52-11 408 7
5. Mesa State 44-15 406 6
Belmont Abbey 40-26 406 10
7. West Chester 46-12 372 2
8. Florida Southern 41-16 356 8
9. Grand Valley State 45-16-1 354 4
10. Central Missouri 44-15 330 9
USC Aiken 42-19 330 12
12. Dowling 35-18 296 T21
13. Sonoma State 35-16 294 11
14. Francis Marion 38-15-1 286 14
15. Barry 44-11 280 13
16. Abilene Christian 45-19 242 15
17. West Alabama 38-16 216 16
18. Western Oregon 34-14 202 T17
Angelo State 46-20 202 T17
20. Valdosta State 43-21 172 20
21. Indianapolis 43-21 162 19
22. Delta State 38-16 148 23
23. Ashland 42-15-1 120 T21
24. Catawba 36-18 114 24
25. Armstrong Atlantic St. 38-18 98 25
26. Tampa 39-17 84 27
27. Wayne State (Neb.) 45-15 50 26
28. Nebraska - Omaha 41-20 46 28
29. UT Permian Basin 39-19 16 T19
30. Mercyhurst 38-17 12 T29
UNC Pembroke 37-17 12 T29
Cameron 43-16 12 T29

Also Receiving Votes: Northern Kentucky 6, Georgia College & State 4, Adelphi 4, Slippery Rock 2, Cal State Dominguez Hills 2, Franklin Pierce 2, Tusculum 1, Dominican 1, New Mexico Highlands 1, Southern Indiana 1, Cal State Los Angeles 1, Cal State Chico 1, Rockhurst 1, North Georgia 1, Mount Olive 1, Erskine 1, Barton 1, Incarnate Word 1, St. Mary's (Texas) 1, Missouri Southern State 1, Alabama-Huntsville 1, West Florida 1, Nova Southeastern 1, Kutztown 1, Shepherd 1, West Virginia State 1, California (Pa.) 1, Colorado State - Pueblo 1, Minnesota State Mankato 1, Southwest Minnesota State 1, Bellarmine 1.

FMU re-enters Baseball Top 30 Poll, hosts Jaguars this weekend

FLORENCE, S.C. – The Francis Marion University baseball team has won its last five games, climbed back into the Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA Division II Top 30 poll, and will host Augusta State University in a key three-game Peach Belt Conference series this weekend.

The Patriots and Jaguars will play a single game on Saturday at 3 p.m. on Cormell Field and a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students.

Francis Marion is 26-13-1 overall and currently third in the PBC standings with a 13-9 mark. ASU (21-24, 8-10) is seventh in the conference standings.

This will be Francis Marion’s final conference series of the season. FMU is 1.5 games behind PBC-leading Georgia College & State University and one-half game behind second-place USC Aiken. GCSU and USCA both have two conference series remaining.

Senior right-hander David Walters will be the Patriots’ probable starter on Saturday. He owns a 6-3 record with a 4.50 earned run average, and has won three of his last four decisions.

Dating back to the 2005 season, the Patriots have appeared in 72 of the past 78 national polls.
Southern Arkansas University (36-7) is the top-ranked team in the poll, while three PBC squads are ranked.

Coker Takes Top Spot in Coaches Softball Preseason Poll

Courtesy of Conference Carolinas Office

High Point, N.C. – Conference Carolinas head softball coaches voted Coker College as their preseason poll favorite for the 2009 season. The Coker College softball team won their second straight regular season Conference Carolinas Championship in 2008, going 17-1 in conference competition with a 35-12 overall record. Returning to lead the Lady Cobras in her senior season is 2008 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, Shelly Catlett. Last season, Shelly posted a record of 27-7, with a 1.80 ERA in 233 innings of work. Catlett dominated hitters throughout the season, racking up 229 strikeouts, placing her at the top of the conference and the nation.

Also returning from last year's squad is First Team All-Conference designated player, Miranda Klees and 2008 Coker Freshman of the Year, Haleigh Rogers. Along with a cast of newcomers, Coker and 2008 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year, David Hanna, will be on the hunt to make it three conference titles in a row, while also looking to return to the NCAA Regionals.

The Pfeiffer University softball team earned the number two spot in the Conference Carolinas preseason coaches' poll this year. The Falcons return eight letter winners, including six starters, from last season's Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship team. Highlighting the returnees are Martina Bullard an All-Region 2nd team outfielder, and shortstop Sarah Moore, a conference All-Tournament team member. Pfeiffer completed the 2008 season with a record of 30-23 overall, while going 12-8 in conference play.

Newcomers looking to make their mark with the Falcons this season are pitcher Christie Thomas, as well as third baseman Heather Nobles and second baseman Kylee Nichols. The Falcons added eight newcomers to the roster, consisting of three junior college transfers and five freshmen.

After winning a share of the regular season conference championship in 2007 and reaching the championship game of last year's Conference Carolinas Tournament, Mount Olive College hopes to continue its success in 2009. The Trojans have posted a school record 68 wins over the last two seasons.

Mount Olive returns Academic All-America second team and All-Region first team designated hitter/pitcher Jenny Jackson. The 2007 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year has been among the nation's hitting and pitching leaders during her first two years at Mount Olive.

Also returning are senior pitcher Anna Turvin and senior outfielder Kat Cahoon, both of whom earned All-Tournament honors at last year's conference tournament. The Trojans add three more pitchers and bring back all of their position players except catcher and second base

Rounding out the softball preseason poll 4-12 was: Erskine, Limestone, Anderson, Queens, Barton, St. Andrews, Belmont Abbey and Lees-McRae.

Conference Carolinas Pre-Season Coaches Poll
(First place votes in parenthesis)

1. Coker College (5) 93

2. Pfeiffer University (3) 85

3. Mount Olive College (1) 79

4. Erskine College (2) 76

5. Limestone College 65

6. Anderson University 64

7. Queens University of Charlotte 36

8. Barton College 32

9. St. Andrews Presbyterian College 26

10. Belmont Abbey College 25

11. Lees-McRae College 24

Election Update

In Marlboro County, 16 of 16 precincts reporting

Solicitor's Race
Rogers: 3705
Erving: 1101

US Senate

Republican race
Graham: 76
Witherspoon: 10

Democratic race
Cone: 1709
Conley: 2022

Election Night Update

The Marlboro Herald Advocate in Bennettsville has a nifty site covering the Marlboro polls: http://www.heraldadvocate.com.dnnmax.com/

Darlington is having problems with the voting machines communicating, so no results for that county are ready.