Complete NCBWA National Top 25/Regional Rankings

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Mercyhurst baseball team, despite having last week off, moved up one spot to 10th in the country according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II poll. The rankings were released on Tuesday afternoon.

Yesterday, the Lakers remained the top team in the Atlantic Region, receiving seven-of-nine first place votes in the regional rankings.

Mercyhurst gained 25 more points in the Top 25 poll, up from 245, to move into the top ten in the country. Tampa remained the top-ranked team in the poll, receiving 417 points and 15 first place votes. Central Missouri received the other two first place votes and is second in the country with 396 points.

The Lakers went a perfect 3-0 in their opening weekend of the season at Chowan University. Pitching was the story of day one, as Mercyhurst swept a twinbill, 2-0 and 8-1. Four hurlers in the two games combined to allow just five base hits to the Hawks. In game one of the doubleheader, senior third baseman Ethan Santora became the school's all-time leading home run hitter with a solo blast to lead off the fourth inning. The round-tripper was the 29th of his career, breaking the record of 28 which he held along with former Laker great Pat Cutshall (1994-97). Cutshall is a member of the Mercyhurst Athletic Hall of Fame and was drafted in the 17th round of the 1997 draft by the Houston Astros.

On Sunday, the Lakers scored four runs in the ninth inning to cap off a 7-5 comeback over the Hawks. A bases-loaded walk to Santora and a bases-clearing double by redshirt freshman Ryan Siegel completed the rally for the Lakers.

The Lakers (3-0) will be in action again on Thursday, February 23, opening up with a single game against Lynn University in the annual spring trip to Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.