Where Wake Forest baseball, other NC teams are ranked in USA TODAY Sports coaches poll

Five college baseball teams in North Carolina will start the season in the top 25 of the 2024 USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

Released Tuesday afternoon, the preseason poll features Wake Forest (1), East Carolina (12), Duke (14), UNC (15) and NC State (16). UNC Wilmington and Campbell were the other N.C. squads to receive votes.

Each of those seven teams played in the NCAA Tournament last season.

The Demon Deacons finished the 2023 season with 54 wins and played in the national semifinals at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. First baseman Nick Kurtz and pitcher Josh Hartle are among Wake Forest’s top returners.

Coming off a championship run in the NCAA Tournament’s Conway Regional, the Blue Devils are the top-ranked team in the Triangle. Duke has a crowd of talented pitchers, including Fran Oschel III, Jonathan Santucci and James Tallon.

BLUE DEVILS TO WATCH: Which Duke athletes will be the Blue Devils’ best in 2024?

TOP TAR HEELS: Which UNC athletes will be the Tar Heels’ best in 2024?

RUN WITH THE PACK: Which NC State athletes will be the Wolfpack’s best in 2024?

Just behind the Blue Devils are the Tar Heels, led by outfielder Vance Honeycutt, and the Wolfpack – powered by pitcher Dominic Fritton and catcher Jacob Cozart.

Beating out the Triangle schools in the preseason poll were the Pirates, who are once again the favorites in the AAC. Trey Yesavage, a pitcher, is among ECU’s top returners.

Here’s a look at the full USA TODAY Sports Top 25 preseason baseball poll. Opening day is scheduled for Feb. 16.

2024 USA TODAY Sports Top 25 preseason baseball poll

• 1. Wake Forest 

• 2. LSU

• 3. Florida

• 4. Arkansas

• 5. TCU

• 6. Vanderbilt

• 7. Oregon State

• 8. Tennessee

• 9. Clemson

• 10. Texas A&M

• 11. Virginia

• 12. East Carolina

• 13. Texas

• 14. Duke

• 15. UNC

• 16. NC State 

• 17. Alabama

• T18. UC Santa Barbara

• T18. Coastal Carolina

• 20. Iowa

• 21. South Carolina

• 22. Texas Tech

• 23. Stanford

• 24. UCLA

• 25. Northeastern

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at @rbaxley@fayobserver.com or on X/Twitter @RoddBaxley. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Wake Forest baseball leads preseason USA TODAY Sports coaches poll