January 17, 2007
Contact: Mike Christie, Sports Information Director

N.C. Wesleyan Picked As USA South Preseason Baseball Favorite

(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) - N.C. Wesleyan College, under the direction of 16th-year Head Coach Charlie Long, was picked to win the USA South Athletic Conference 2007 men's baseball title in the preseason coaches' poll.  The Battling Bishops are coming off a USA South Conference Tournament and South Regional Championship last season. The USA South title was the program's first since the 2000 team won both the regular season and tournament crowns. Also, N.C. Wesleyan advanced to its 12th World Series appearance in 2006, finished the year with a 31-19 overall record and a #8 national ranking. This season, the Battling Bishops were recently ranked tenth in the American Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll.

N.C. Wesleyan received six of seven first-place votes (36 points) as head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.

Ferrum College finished second in the balloting with 28 points while Greensboro College collected the final first-place vote and 25 points for a third-place finish in the poll. Methodist University, the defending USA South Regular Season Champions, finished fourth in the balloting with 21 points. Christopher Newport University rounded out the top-five as the Captains collected 17 points.

The 2007 campaign gets underway on Friday, Feb. 2 when Greensboro College travels to La Verne, California to play La Verne at 11 a.m. and La Sierra at 3 p.m. The USA South Tournament will be played April 12th - 15th in Burlington, N.C. at the Burlington Athletic Stadium.

2007 USA South Baseball Coaches Poll
Rank	Institution (1st place Votes)	Pts.
1.	N.C. Wesleyan (6)	36
2.	Ferrum	28
3.	Greensboro (1)	25
4.	Methodist	21
5.	Christopher Newport	17
6.	Shenandoah	14
7.	Averett	6