By: Aaron Kirby

The top 3 remain the same with Purdue (24-5) staying at #1 for second week in row. The Boilermakers had a perfect 4-0 week including sweeping their Big 10 series at Northwestern……………..#2 Texas St (20-11) won 2 of 3 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Bobcats were 3 outs from a sweep on Saturday until Texas A&M-CC scored 3 runs in bottom of 9th to avoid the sweep………….#3 Dallas Baptist (21-9) started the week off with a 4-3 win at TCU and followed that up with a sweep of Prairie View A&M.

RISING

San Diego (25-8) slides up 1 spot to #4 after taking 2 of 3 from Gonzaga in West Coast Conference play. The Toreros dropped the first game to Gonzaga 6-2 but came back and won the final 2 games of series by scores of 5-2 and 5-3.

slides up 1 spot to #4 after taking 2 of 3 from Gonzaga in West Coast Conference play. The Toreros dropped the first game to Gonzaga 6-2 but came back and won the final 2 games of series by scores of 5-2 and 5-3. Stetson (21-10) climbed 4 spots to #6 with a 3-1 week. The Hatters started the week with a 6-2 win at South Florida and finished the week winning 2 of 3 vs Jacksonville in A-Sun play.

climbed 4 spots to #6 with a 3-1 week. The Hatters started the week with a 6-2 win at South Florida and finished the week winning 2 of 3 vs Jacksonville in A-Sun play. Appalachian St (24-6) moves up 5 spots to inside the top 10 for first time at #7. The Mountaineers hosted College of Charleston in big Southern Conference series and won 2 of 3. The series win also puts them alone in 1 st place in the SoCon at 9-3.

moves up 5 spots to inside the top 10 for first time at #7. The Mountaineers hosted College of Charleston in big Southern Conference series and won 2 of 3. The series win also puts them alone in 1 place in the SoCon at 9-3. Sam Houston St (23-9) has wasted no time climbing the rankings and jumps up 6 spots to #13. The Bearkats have the nations 2nd longest current win streak at 12 including going 4-0 in week 8. The Bearkats won 2-1 at Rice on Tuesday and swept Northwestern St by scores of 5-4, 4-3 and 5-3.

FALLING

College of Charleston (22-11) slid 3 spots to #14. The Cougars week started with a 7-0 loss vs South Carolina before their big SoCon series at App St. CofC lost the 1 st two games at App St (Friday 8-6 and Saturday 8-2) but salvaged one game with a 8-3 win on Sunday behind a solid 6 innings from Christian Powell(6 IP, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K).

slid 3 spots to #14. The Cougars week started with a 7-0 loss vs South Carolina before their big SoCon series at App St. CofC lost the 1 two games at App St (Friday 8-6 and Saturday 8-2) but salvaged one game with a 8-3 win on Sunday behind a solid 6 innings from Christian Powell(6 IP, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K). Missouri St (24-10) drops 4 and outside the top 10 to #11. The Bears week got off to a good start by winning 2 mid-week games vs Arkansas St. In MVC play the Bears traveled to Bradley and lost 2 one run games (2-1 Friday and 4-3 Sunday) sandwiched around a 12-2 win on Saturday.

drops 4 and outside the top 10 to #11. The Bears week got off to a good start by winning 2 mid-week games vs Arkansas St. In MVC play the Bears traveled to Bradley and lost 2 one run games (2-1 Friday and 4-3 Sunday) sandwiched around a 12-2 win on Saturday. Southeastern Louisiana (22-11) falls 5 spots to #21 with a 2-2 week. The Lions won 2-1 at Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday before hosting Central Arkansas in Southland play. After winning the opener on Thursday 5-4 the Lions lost 8-4 Friday and 4-3 on Saturday. This was the 2 nd consecutive week of dropping a SLC series to a team below .500 (lost 2 of 3 at Lamar last week).

falls 5 spots to #21 with a 2-2 week. The Lions won 2-1 at Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday before hosting Central Arkansas in Southland play. After winning the opener on Thursday 5-4 the Lions lost 8-4 Friday and 4-3 on Saturday. This was the 2 consecutive week of dropping a SLC series to a team below .500 (lost 2 of 3 at Lamar last week). Western Carolina (22-11) also falls 5 spots to #22. The week could not have started much better for the Catamounts, with a 13-8 win at Clemson to sweep the season series from Clemson for first time. However, WCU then traveled to Wofford in SoCon play and lost 2 of 3. The Catamounts came into the series having beaten the Terriers 22 of previous 24 games.

OUT

#21 Kent St (18-13)

#22 Elon (19-14)

#24 SC Upstate (21-11)

IN

#18 Belmont (23-10)- The Belmont Bruins finally get into the rankings with another impressive week and extending their win streak to 7 games. The Bruins went 4-0 on week and started it by picking up a nice 6-2 win at OVC leading Austin Peay on Tuesday. They then hosted SC Upstate in A-Sun play and swept the series to take a 2 game lead in the A-Sun. Over the last 3 weekend series the Bruins have won 2 of 3 vs Stetson, swept Jacksonville on road and swept SC Upstate.

The Belmont Bruins finally get into the rankings with another impressive week and extending their win streak to 7 games. The Bruins went 4-0 on week and started it by picking up a nice 6-2 win at OVC leading Austin Peay on Tuesday. They then hosted SC Upstate in A-Sun play and swept the series to take a 2 game lead in the A-Sun. Over the last 3 weekend series the Bruins have won 2 of 3 vs Stetson, swept Jacksonville on road and swept SC Upstate. #19 George Mason (22-11)- The Patriots enter the top 25 at #19 after going 4-0 on the road in week 8. On Tuesday they won 7-6 at Maryland and swept their Colonial series at VCU by scores of 7-4, 2-0 and 4-2.

The Patriots enter the top 25 at #19 after going 4-0 on the road in week 8. On Tuesday they won 7-6 at Maryland and swept their Colonial series at VCU by scores of 7-4, 2-0 and 4-2. #24-Portland (19-7)-The Pilots enter the rankings at #24. After winning 2 of 3 last week at Santa Clara they followed that series win up by sweeping San Francisco in West Coast Conference play.

Mid-Major Top 25- Week 8 RNK SCHOOL (REC) PVS (WK) Weeks Results 4/2-4/8 #1 Purdue (24-5) #1 (4-0) 1-0 Anderson; 3-0 at Northwestern; #2 Texas St (20-11) #2 (2-1) 2-1 at Texas A&M CC; #3 Dallas Baptist (21-9) #3 (4-0) 1-0 at TCU; 3-0 Praire View A&M; #4 San Diego (25-8) #5 (2-1) 2-1 Gonzaga; #5 Louisville (23-9) #4 (3-1) 1-0 Western Kentucky; 2-1 at Georgetown; #6 Stetson (21-10) #10 (3-1) 1-0 at South Florida; 2-1 Jacksonville; #7 Appalachian St (24-6) #12 (2-1) 2-1 College of Charleston; #8 New Mexio St (25-9) #13 (3-1) 1-0 New Mexico; 2-1 Nevada; #9 Gonzaga (20-9) #6 (2-2) 1-0 Washington St; 1-2 at San Diego; #10 Florida Atlantic (22-11) #9 (3-1) 1-0 Lynn; 2-1 South Alabma; #11 Missouri St (24-10) #7 (3-2) 2-0 Arkansas St; 1-2 at Bradley; #12 TCU (16-13) #8 (2-2) 0-1 Dallas Baptist; 2-1 UNCW; #13 Sam Houston St (23-9) #19 (4-0) 1-0 at Rice; 3-0 Northwestern St; #14 College of Charleston (22-11) #11 (1-3) 0-1 South Carolina; 1-2 at App St; t #15 Liberty (27-8) #14 (2-2) 0-1 at VCU; 2-1 Campbell; #16 Pepperdine (19-13) #15 (2-2) 0-1 at USC; 2-1 at St. Mary’s #17 Indiana St (26-7) #18 (3-1) 1-0 at Illinios Chicago; 2-1 at Creighton; #18 Belmont (23-10) NR (4-0) 1-0 at Austin Peay; 3-0 SC Upstate; #19 George Mason (22-11) NR (4-0) 1-0 at Maryland; 3-0 at VCU; #20 Coastal Carolina (20-10) #20 (2-2) 0-1 at The Citadel; 2-1 at Gardner-Webb; #21 SE Louisiana (22-11) #16 (2-2) 1-0 at Louisiana Lafayette; 1-2 Central Arkansas; #22 Western Carolina (22-11) #17 (2-2) 1-0 at Clemson; 1-2 at Wofford; #23 Samford (20-12) #23 (3-1) 1-0 at Alabama A&M; 2-1 The Citadel; #24 Portland (19-7) NR (3-1) 0-1 at Oregon St; 3-0 San Francisco; #25 Stony Brook (19-9) #25 (3-1) 1-0 Fairleigh Dickinson; 2-1 Binghamton; dropped out #21 Kent St (18-13) #22 Elon (19-14) #24 SC Upstate (21-11) others receiving votes South Florida (23-10) Nebraska (22-12) North Florida (21-14) Elon (19-14) North Dakota St (21-6) UT-Arlington (20-12) Ohio St (18-12) Hawaii (19-13) Campbell (26-7) Army (22-8)

Added new piece this week for the RPI lovers out there. This table shows teams RPI to start the week and to end the week and how much they changed. You want your team to have a – mark and not a +. If you team is highlighted in BLUE it is good and ORANGE is not so good.

***RPI info from WWW.WARRENNOLAN.COM***