The defending NCAA Division II National Champions will open up the 2023 season as the top team in the nation, according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Poll, which was released yesterday. NGU received seventeen of the nineteen 1st place votes with the University of Tampa receiving the remaining two. The Crusaders also took the top spot in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll as tje defending Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament champions. NGU received all but one first place vote, which belonged to North Greenville. The Crusaders received the maximum 100 points while UNC Pembroke received NGU's first place vote as well as the second most points in the poll with 88.

Finishing the 2022 season with a 54-10 record, North Greenville dominated the Conference Carolinas Tournament and lost just two out of eleven games throughout the Southeast Regional and Southeast Super Regional tournaments. Advancing to Cary, North Carolina, North Greenville went undefeated in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Tournament, scoring 34 runs and allowing just 12 in four games for the university and program's first-ever NCAA National Championship.

The 2023 season gets underway on the road on Friday, February 3rd in the Houston Winder Invitational at Minute Maid Park against the University of Central Missouri.


2023 NCBWA Preseason Poll
Conference Carolinas 2023 Baseball Preseason Poll