LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Defending national champion Florida will start the 2015 campaign at No. 1 as the Gators (55-12) received 20 first-place votes and totaled 699 points to claim the top spot in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top 25.
Coming off its first WCWS title, Florida, under the direction of Tim Walton, opens the season at No. 1 for the second time (2009) in program history. In 2014, the Gators spent five consecutive weeks in the top spot (Feb. 18-Mar. 18) before returning there at the end of the season.Oregon (56-9-1), which reached the WCWS semifinals, was a mere five points (694) behind Florida after receiving eight first-place votes. National runner-up Alabama (53-13) chimed in at No. 3 with 648 points, while Oklahoma (51-13) received a first-place vote and 613 points and Florida State rounded out the top five with 571 points.
Coming in at No. 6 was Kentucky (50-19) with 565 points and at No. 7 with 536 points, UCLA. Rounding out the top 10 were Michigan (47-15), Louisiana-Lafayette (49-10-1) and national semifinalist Baylor (49-16).
The Southeastern Conference led the way with nine total selections, while the Pacific-12 added five and the Big Ten three teams in the preseason rankings. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Sun Belt boasted a pair of programs, respectively, while the Big East and Conference USA each had one squad represented.
