April 3, 2006
NORFOLK, VA.--The Old Dominion University Baseball Monarchs (29-3/12-0), winners of 18 straight moved up to number 15 in the BASEBALL AMERICA top25 and 18 in the COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWS top 25. This is the highest rankingfor the Monarchs since April 14, 1986 when the Monarchs were 12th by BASEBALL AMERICA. Last week, ODU defeated Maryland and swept CAA rival JMU.
The 18-game win streak ties the longest single season Division I mark for ODU.The 1985 squad which won the Sun Belt title also won 18 straight. The longest overall single season ODU mark is 21 set by the 1964 Monarchs who won the NCAA Division II East regionals. The 18-game win streak also ties Mississippi State for the longest thisseason.
Through 32 games, designated hitter/reliever Dana Arrowood (Woodbridge, VA.) leads the squad at .431 batting average and has 33 runs batted in. He also leads the CAA with six saves and has a 1.59 earned run average. Outfielder Jimmy Miles (Orlando, FL.) is second at .413 and leads the CAA with 31 stolen bases. Junior firstbaseman Bryan Cipolla (Plainview, NY.)along with Arrowood and outfielder Mike Zahm (Omaha, ND.) lead the team with 33 RBI. Patrick Nichols (Chesapeake, VA.) leads the team with ten homers.
On the mound, ODU's overall earned run average is 3.16 (2.62 in CAA games).Jason Godin (Stafford, VA.) is 7-0 with a 3.54 ERA, while Kevin Gunter (Richland, NJ.) is 5-2 with a 3.60 ERA and freshman Dan Hudson (Virginia Beach, VA.) is 5-0 with a 1.75 ERA.
The Monarchs play the Norfolk Tides, the New York Mets AAA affiliate TuesdayNight in the annual WexTrust Capital Baseball Scholarship Classic. Game time is 7:15 atHarbor Park. Tickets are $5.00 for the general public and $3.00 for students. ODU returns to action this weekend at Hofstra.
BASEBALL AMERICA TOP 25 Note: Old Dominion is 29-3 and has won 18 straight games, tying Mississippi State for the longest winning streak of the season. The Monarchs make their first appearance in the Top 25 since May 1996 at No. 15.
1. Cal State Fullerton 24-7 2. South Carolina 26-33. Mississippi State 22-3 4. Rice 24-8 5. North Carolina 23-66. Florida State 27-4 7. Clemson 20-7 8. Nebraska 20-59. Texas 21-11 10. Georgia Tech 22-6 11. Oregon State 19-812. Arkansas 23-6 13. Arizona State 23-9 14. Alabama 22-915. Old Dominion 29-3 16. Vanderbilt 19-9 17. North CarolinaState 25-8 18. Tulane 18-12 19. Oklahoma 21-920. Wake Forest 23-7 21. Creighton 18-6 22. Pepperdine 20-1323. Kentucky 22-7 24. Kansas 18-11 25. Winthrop (23-7) Contact: Will Kimmey, 919.682.9635, ext. 113 (willkimmey@baseballamerica.com)
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL TOP 251.South Carolina (26-3); 2. Cal.State Fullerton (24-7);3. North Carolina (23-6); 4. Florida State (27-4); 5. MississippiState (22-3); 6. Nebraska (20-5); 7 Rice(28); 8. Clemson (20-7);9. Texas (21-11); 10. Alabama (22-9); 11. Georgia Tech(22-6); 12. Vanderbilt (19-9); 13. Arizona State (23-9);14. Miami (Fla.) (23-10);15. N.C. State (25-8); 16. Oregon State (19-8);17. Arkansas (23-6); 18. ODU (29-3);19. Wake Forest (23-7); 20. Virginia (24-8);21. Fresno State (24-9); 22. Collegeof Charleston (23-6); 23. Creighton (18-6);24. Ohio State (15-6); 25. Kentucky(22-7). (lou pavlovich, jr (www.baseballnews.com).