FULL RELEASE

PEMBROKE, N.C. – Newberry has attained its highest ranking in school history, landing at No. 3 in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll following a weekend sweep of No. 15 Catawba.
 
Last week's ranking of No. 7 tied Newberry's 1977 team for the highest ranking in any era and established a new record for the Wolves as an NCAA program. The Wolves faltered against USC Aiken in a midweek game but rebounded to sweep Catawba for the second time ever.
 
Newberry received one first-place vote in the rankings, marking the first time in program history that the team has received a first-place vote. 
 
The 3-1 week improved Newberry to 36-10 on the season, 19-2 in the South Atlantic Conference, and one win away from claiming the program's first regular season conference championship. The Wolves' 36 wins are the most in any NCAA division this season.
 
Newberry is ranked in the top 15 nationally in 11 statistical categories, including scoring the second-most runs (375) and pounding out the second-most hits (473) in the division. Danton Hyman's 75 hits lead the nation and are 13 shy of tying the school single-season record. Quinton Driggers is ranked second with 4.27 hits allowed per nine innings while Josh Bookbinder's eight wins are the fifth-most nationally.
 
The Wolves are also ranked first in the Southeast Region for the first time ever, moving into the top spot after North Greenville lost a weekend series at Mount Olive. The Crusaders tumbled out of the top spot in this week's national poll with a No. 9 ranking this week.
 
Lincoln-Memorial, who the Wolves have a series with this weekend, earned two points in this week's poll. Catawba dropped out of the poll but still earned 14 points after getting swept by the Wolves this past weekend.

Newberry moved into the top 10 of the Collegiate Baseball poll for the first time this season, improving from No. 15 to No. 9 after the sweep of Catawba.
 
Newberry travels to face USC Aiken tonight in a nonconference battle before the conference race is decided at Lincoln Memorial this weekend.