The Chico State baseball team has been ranked in the Division II Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll every single time its been published. This year is no exception. The Wildcats are ranked No. 15 heading into the 2012 season, which kicks off with a four-game series against Saint Martin’s (Wash.) Feb. 10-12.

The first Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll was published in 1998. The Wildcats, coming off their first national title, were ranked No. 4. This season marks the 11th time in 15 years that the Wildcats are among the preseason top 20. In seven of those 11 seasons, Chico State finished the season ranked among the nation’s top 10.

The Wildcats have 50 scheduled regular-season games to prove they belong among the nation’s elite teams once again this season, including 30 of their first 34 at Nettleton Stadium. They’ll need to get off to a good start since 16 of their last 20 are on the road.

Defending National Champion West Florida is ranked No. 1, followed by Francis Marion, Central Missouri, Grand Valley State, and Mount Olive, which rounds out the top five.
 
Chico State is the top-ranked team in the West Region, followed by No. 29 Cal Poly Pomona, No. 30 UC San Diego, and No. 33 Western Oregon. Dixie State is among the schools that received votes but did not crack the top 40.

COMPLETE COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER PRESEASON POLL