The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) has released its Week 1 edition of the NCBWA Division II Top 25 Poll and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball program Lane College have garnered votes this week.
The South Region lists Lane as receiving votes in the DII Top 10 regional rankings. In recent weeks, the national poll listed both Albany State and Miles College in its preseason south poll. All three are conference rivals from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
Lane College, the defending HBCU baseball small school champ, opens the 2021 season on February 26th at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff scheduled as a three-game series.
Lane College started the 2020 season unranked winning its way into the No. 1 ranking and was crowned small school HBCU Baseball National Champion during the pandemic shortened season. It marked the program’s first-ever national title.
Lane returns nearly all of its 2020 roster for the 2021 season.
| SOUTH REGION | ||||
| Rank | Team (1st Place Votes) | 2021 Record | Pts | Prev |
| 1 | Tampa (8) | 0-0 | 89 | 1 |
| 2 | Barry (1) | 0-0 | 79 | 2 |
| 3 | Lee | 5-0 | 66 | RV |
| 4 | Shorter | 4-2 | 53 | NR |
| 5 | West Florida | 4-2 | 49 | 3 |
| 6 | Florida Southern | 0-0 | 36 | 7 |
| 7 | Nova Southeastern | 0-0 | 29 | 8 |
| 8 | Valdosta State | 3-2 | 26 | 6 |
| 9 | Lynn | 0-0 | 22 | 9 |
| 10 | Auburn Montgomery | 4-2 | 15 | NR |
| Receiving Votes: Delta State (1-2) 7 points; West Georgia (3-3) 7 points; Alabama-Huntsville (2-4) 5 points; Rollins (0-0) 5 points; Montevallo (3-3) 4 points; Union (3-3) 2 points; Lane (0-0) 1 point. | ||||
| Dropped Out: Mississippi College (10th). | ||||