CSU baseball schedule includes five teams ranked in preseason top 30 by Collegiate Baseball

CSU baseball coach Jason Murray

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Collegiate Baseball newspaper recently released its preseason Fab 40 baseball rankings for the 2006 season and the list included five teams that appear on Charleston Southern's 2006 schedule.

All five of the teams were ranked in the top 30 and four other schools received votes in the poll. Topping the list of CSU opponents is the University of Nebraska, which is ranked fourth. The Buccaneers host the Cornhuskers on February 16 at Buccaneer Field.

CSU opens the 2006 season with a three-game series at Florida State, beginning February 3rd. The Seminoles are ranked eighth in the preseason poll.

Ranked 14th in the preseason is the University of Missouri, who play at Charleston Southern on February 10th, while the University of South Carolina, CSU's opponent on March 21, is ranked 17th.

"Playing three top 15 teams in the first two weeks of the season is a tremendous challenge but it's a good type of challenge," said CSU baseball coach Jason Murray. "We want to play a tough schedule, to test our young men against the very best, and this schedule certainly does that."

Fellow Big South member Winthrop is ranked 28th. The Bucs host the defending conference champions in a three-game series beginning on May 5th.

Others on CSU's schedule receiving votes were Western Carolina, College of Charleston and Big South members Coastal Carolina and Birmingham Southern.