FROM STAFF REPORTS

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The University of Montevallo baseball team moved up one spot to No. 7 in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings, which were released May 1.

The rankings will be released weekly until all conference tournaments are completed. The top six teams, including automatic qualifiers who won their conference tournament, in each of the eight regions will advance to the NCAA Division II baseball tournament, which begins with region tournaments May 15-19. All conference tournament champions receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament.

The Falcons (31-18 overall, 16-14 in Peach Belt Conference) are one of six Peach Belt Conference schools ranked among the top eight teams in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll.

USC Aiken remains ranked No. 2 in the region poll. Montevallo took two-of-three games against the Pacers, who are ranked No. 1 nationally in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II poll, in a conference series in March.

Armstrong Atlantic State remains ranked No. 3 in the most recent region poll. Lander University, which took two-of-three games against the Falcons in a conference series last month, is ranked No. 4 in the region poll.

Francis Marion, which swept the Falcons in a conference series in early April, is moved up one spot to No. 6 in the latest region poll.

UNC Pembroke dropped three spots to No. 8 in the latest region poll. Montevallo took two-of-three games against the Braves in a conference series in February.

Mount Olive College, which won the Conference Carolinas regular season championship, is the top-ranked team in the initial region poll. Coker College, which won the Conference Carolinas tournament championship and sealed a berth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament, is ranked No. 6 in the region poll.

Lincoln Memorial also clinched a bid to the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament after winning the South Atlantic Conference tournament championship.

Montevallo has faced three teams ranked in the initial NCAA Division II South Region rankings in non-conference play this season.

The Falcons dropped a hard-fought three-game series on the road at Delta State University, which is ranked No. 2 in the most recent South Region rankings, in early February.

Montevallo swept a home-and-away series with UAH, which is ranked No. 4 in the South Region rankings. The Falcons also took two-of-three games in a non-conference series on the road at Saint Leo University, which moved up one spot to No. 7 in the latest South Region rankings.

The Falcons close out the regular season Saturday, May 4 on the road at Shorter University in Rome, Ga. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CST.

Montevallo has clinched a bid in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference tournament, which will be held May 8-12 at Dolny Stadium in Greenwood, S.C.

The Falcons, the No. 8 seed in the tournament, will face top-seeded USC Aiken in the opening round May 8.