SEASON PREVIEW: Spartans Tabbed as Nation's Top Team in Preseason Poll
TUCSON, Ariz. - Coming off a national semifinalist performance in 2021, the University of Tampa baseball team will open the 2022 campaign as the top-ranked team in the nation, according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Coaches Poll.
Head coach Joe Urso's squad is coming off a 23-6 season where UT captured the program's 21st Sunshine State Conference championship and 19th NCAA South Region title. UT advanced to the NCAA National Championship Series in Cary, going 3-2 and advancing one game shy of the championship game.
The Spartans open the season with the majority of the 2021 team intact, including eight position starters and three of four top pitchers from a season ago. Tampa also added several newcomers who will challenge for starting positions this season.
Leading the returning cast is all-region and first-team all-SSC outfielder E.J. Cumbo, who hit a team-high .388 in his first season at Tampa. The sophomore also blasted eight home runs and 26 RBI, both a team high. In all, UT's top six hitters from 2021 are back for 2022. Drew Ehrhard also returns following a season where he hit .356 with a pair of home runs and 24 RBI. a versatile player who can play a number of positions, Ehrhard has four years of experience with the Spartans and boasts 195 career hits.
UT returns its top three starting pitchers from last season, though ace reliever Jordan Leasure was drafted and signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers following a season where he was 4-1 with six saves, striking out 60 hitters in 38.1 innings to lead the nation in strikeout rate. Michael Paul returns to lead the UT staff, as the Friday night starter was 7-1 as a junior.
With Tampa the lone SSC school in the rankings, Florida Southern, Embry-Riddle and Barry are each listed as receiving votes. South Region opponents Lee (17), West Florida (27) and Alabama-Huntsville (32) are also represented in the national rankings.
UT opens its 2022 season on February 4 at Georgia College, facing the Bobcats for a three-game region series in Milledgeville, Ga.
Click here for the complete poll. The Jan. 7, 2022 College National Preview edition of Collegiate Baseball features a list of the top NCAA Division 2 players in the USA by district broken down by Returning All-Region Players, Players To Watch and Top Newcomers. CBN also features an in-depth look at the top 25 NCAA Division 2 teams in the nation. Plus we have in-depth looks at every other level of college baseball, including top players. To see what's in this edition, CLICK HERE.