With the beginning of the season just under two months away, Collegiate Baseball released its annual preseason poll Tuesday on its website.

Head coach Mike Fox and the Tar Heels checked in at No. 7 in the initial rankings, as they look to build off last year’s 49-win season–a year that saw UNC earn the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament before suffering a pair of shocking upsets at the hands of Davidson during the Chapel Hill Regional.

Defending national champion Florida–which has pitcher Cole Maye, the brother of UNC basketball standout Luke Maye, on the roster–will kick off the 2018 campaign as the No. 1 team in America.

Oregon State, Arkansas, Florida State and Texas Tech make up the rest of the top five–with No. 6 Vanderbilt sitting just ahead of UNC.

The rest of the top 10 includes: No. 8 Kentucky, No. 9 TCU and No. 10 LSU.

In total, the SEC has the most teams among the preseason top 40–slotting 10 of its 14 schools into the rankings.

The ACC ranks just behind the SEC with eight teams among the poll.

UNC is set to begin its season on Feb. 16 against South Florida.

For the full Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 40, click here.

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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