The Arkansas Razorbacks' baseball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation in a preseason poll for the first time in program history.
Ryne Stanek was one of three Hogs named a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American on Thursday.
The Hogs, who are coming off a third-place finish in the College World Series, opened up at No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 40 poll that was released Thursday.
In addition to the preseason No. 1 ranking, juniors Dominic Ficociello, Ryne Stanek and Colby Suggs were named Louisville Slugger Preseason All-Americans on Thursday.
All 14 SEC baseball programs are either ranked or receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll. Joining the Razorbacks in the top 40 are No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 LSU, No. 7 South Carolina, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 13 Mississippi State, No. 24 Florida, No. 25 Ole Miss, No. 26 Texas A&M and No. 29 Georgia. Auburn, Alabama, Missouri and Tennessee are also receiving votes in the poll.
Arkansas finished the 2012 season with a 46-22 record and advanced to the College World Series for the seventh time in program history, finishing in a tie for third. The 46 victories were the most for the Razorbacks under head coach Dave Van Horn and the most in a season since the 1990 team won 47 games.
Arkansas finished the season ranked in the top six in all four of the major national college baseball polls, including a No. 3 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, the NCBWA poll and the Collegiate Baseball poll.
The Razorbacks return 10 pitchers from last year’s pitching staff that finished the season with a 2.83 team ERA, the second-lowest single-season ERA in program history.
Offensively, Arkansas returns six position players who made 30 or more starts during the 2012 season.
The Razorbacks open the 2013 season on Friday, Feb. 15, when they host Western Illinois. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Central.
Collegiate Baseball Top 40 Preseason Poll
1. Arkansas
2. North Carolina
3. Vanderbilt
4. LSU
5. UCLA
6. Oregon
7. South Carolina
8. Kentucky
9. Stanford
10. Oregon State
11. NC State
12. San Diego
13. Mississippi State
14. Oklahoma
15. TCU
16. Arizona State
17. Georgia Tech
18. Arizona
19. Florida State
20. Rice
21. Texas
22. Louisville
23. Cal State Fullerton
24. Florida
25. Ole Miss
26. Texas A&M
27. Clemson
28. Miami (Fla.)
29. Georgia
30. UC Irvine
31. Missouri State
32. Wichita State
33. New Mexico
34. Kent State
35. Virginia
36. Southern Miss
37. East Carolina
38. Coastal Carolina
39. Dallas Baptist
40. Pepperdine
