Courtesy University of Central Arkansas Athletics Department
CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears are not just appearing in national baseball polls this week, but rising in them.
UCA (17-3), coming off a 2-1 series victory over Southern Mississippi on the road last weekend, appeared in two new polls Monday and moved up in another.
The Bears are ranked 23rd nationally by Baseball America and Perfect Game Top 25. UCA is 24th in the USA Today/Coaches’ poll, 27th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll and remained ranked No. 30 by Collegiate Baseball.
The Bears have won consecutive weekend series over then-No. 3 Mississippi State and perennial power Southern Miss, both on the road. UCA plays at UA-Pine Bluff on Tuesday night before opening Southland Conference play at league newcomer Oral Roberts this weekend in Tulsa.
UCA has had five Southland Conference hitters or pitchers of the week in the first month of the season, including two awards each for senior right fielder Forrestt Allday and junior righthander Bryce Biggerstaff. The only other loss this season for the Bears was to then-No. 2 Vanderbilt in Nashville.