KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Fresh off a weekend sweep of Frostburg State, the Kutztown University baseball team finds itself ranked in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region Poll for the first time since 2017. The Golden Bears moved into the No. 10 spot in the first regular season poll, the organization announced Monday afternoon.

Kutztown, which got off to a 7-4 start in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic, once again had a strong start to the season, besting the Bobcats four times in Aberdeen, Md. Head coach Eric Folmar's club scored a dramatic 10-7 extra-inning comeback victory in game one on Friday and completed the doubleheader sweep with a 9-3 win in game two. In Sunday's twin bill, the Maroon and Gold were 16-6 and 4-2 victors.

The Golden Bears' last appearance in the regional poll came back in 2017, when they reached as high as ninth. KU didn't receive votes in the 2021 preseason poll, but managed to displace Pitt-Johnstown after its quick start. The first regular season poll is filled with an abundance of PSAC East competition, as Millersville, East Stroudsburg, and Bloomsburg hold the top three spots. The Marauders received 12-of-13 first-place votes with East Stroudsburg getting the other.

PSAC West foes Seton Hill and Mercyhurst complete the top five in this week's poll. The first and only non-PSAC team ranked is Charleston (W.Va.) of the Mountain East Conference. West Chester is seventh, followed by Slippery Rock, Shepherd and Kutztown.

KU is scheduled to open PSAC East play against Lock Haven this weekend, starting with Friday's road doubleheader.
 

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NCBWA Atlantic Region Poll

March 8, 2021
 

Place	Team (1st Place)	Points	Previous
1.	Millersville (12)	129	2
2.	East Stroudsburg (1)	113	1
3.	Bloomsburg	97	3
4.	Seton Hill	93	5
5.	Mercyhurst	80	4
6.	Charleston (W.Va.)	67	6
7.	West Chester	45	8
8.	Slippery Rock	37	7
9.	Shepherd	30	9
10.	Kutztown	9	NR
Receiving Votes: Wheeling (7), Cal U (4), Glenville State (4)