FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina has been selected as the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball preseason favorite in a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches.
The Tar Heels were named by seven coaches as this year’s ACC team to beat, while Georgia Tech received four first-place votes and Florida State one.
UNC, coming off its fifth College World Series appearance in six years, was also named by seven coaches as the likely Coastal Division winner. Georgia Tech received four first-place votes and one coach picked Miami.
Clemson received the nod as the Atlantic Division favorite. The Tigers received seven first-place votes, with the other five going to Florida State.
North Carolina was followed in the Coastal Division voting by Georgia Tech, while Miami and defending ACC champion Virginia tied for third place. Virginia Tech placed fifth, followed by Duke.
Clemson and Florida State were picked 1-2 in the Atlantic Division, followed by NC State, Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College.
All 12 ACC teams open their seasons with non-conference games on Friday, Feb. 17. The 2012 ACC Baseball Championship is scheduled for May 23 through 27 at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C.
Ten ACC student-athletes have been named 2012 preseason All-Americans. Six conference teams – North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia – have been ranked among the top 20 of at least one major preseason poll.
With North Carolina and Virginia reaching the College World Series last season, the ACC has placed a total of 14 teams in Omaha since 2006. Seven ACC teams received NCAA Tournament berths in 2011, and at least five conference teams have been selected for postseason play each of the past 10 seasons.
2012 ACC BASEBALL COACHES PRESEAON POLL
OVERALL CHAMPION: North Carolina (7)
Also receiving votes: Georgia Tech (4), Florida State (1)
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Team Points
Clemson (7) 67
Florida State (5) 64
NC State 46
Wake Forest 34
Maryland 27
Boston College 14
COASTAL DIVISION
Team Points
North Carolina (7) 63
Georgia Tech (4) 57
Miami (1) 47
Virginia 47
Virginia Tech 20
Duke 18
(Six points were awarded for each first-place vote, five points for each second-place vote, etc).
