TUSCON, Ariz. --- With the return of 20 lettermen, including eight starters and nine pitchers from last year's South Atlantic Conference championship team, the Tusculum Pioneers are listed seventh in the 2008 Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II Preseason Poll announced College officials.

The Pioneers received 536 total points and are tied for seventh with Franklin Pierce, who went 49-11 last season and advance to the NCAA II College World Series.

Tusculum is coming off its best season in school history, posting a 50-14 record and winning its third consecutive SAC title. The Pioneers also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last five years.

Defending national champion Tampa holds the top spot in the poll with 640 total points, while national runner-up Columbus State is second with 624. Florida Southern is third, followed by Mesa State, Abilene Christian, Mount Olive, Tusculum, Franklin Pierce, Angelo State and Southern Indiana to make up the top 10.

Tusculum and Mount Olive will test their top 10 rankings right out of the gate when the two teams square off in a three-game series to open the season. That series will be played Feb. 2-3 at Mount Olive.

Of Tusculum's eight returning starters, three earned All-America distinction last season, including SAC and South Region Player of the Year Maikol Gonzalez. Gonzalez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) led the team with a .444 batting average, while posting a school and league record 14 triples, which also led the nation in 2007. He also posted 10 doubles, two home runs and a team-best 65 RBI.

Senior outfielder Carlos Rivera is also slated to return after establishing a new TC and SAC record with 101 hits. Rivera (Leesburg, Va.) batted .398 with 17 doubles, eight triples and 59 RBI, while also posting 23 stolen bases.

Senior catcher Christian Rosa also earned All-America honors in 2007 while batting .339 with a team-leading nine home runs and 63 RBI. Rosa (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) also established a new school record with 29 stolen bases last year.