This article was updated on Jan. 28 at 11:53 p.m.
After last season ended in early elimination from the College World Series, UCLA baseball has garnered a No. 2 ranking going into the 2013 season.
The USA Today/ESPN preseason coaches poll results were released this week ,with the Bruins ranked behind the Arkansas Razorbacks.
UCLA received four first place votes in the poll.
Florida State, who knocked UCLA out of the postseason in 2012, came into the poll at No. 9. Arizona, the eventual winner of the CWS, was ranked at No. 10.
UCLA baseball saw seven players – including its entire starting outfield – go in the MLB First Year Player’s draft last season, including outfielder Jeff Gelalich, who went in the compensation round to the Cincinnati Reds.
Several young players will look to make an impact this season after making an impact as late-inning substitutes, including juniors Brian Carroll and Brenton Allen as well as sophomore Shane Zeile.
Many other Pac-12 teams besides Arizona and UCLA made it into the USA Today/ESPN rankings: Oregon and Stanford took the No. 6 and No. 7 spots , respectively. Oregon State clocked in at No. 14 and Arizona State came in at No. 20.
Many institutions have released their preseason rankings recently, all of which placed UCLA in the top 20. They were put at No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 6 by Perfect Game USA and No. 12 by Baseball America.
Baseball season starts off for UCLA in just over two weeks, when the Bruins open up their season against Minnesota at Jackie Robinson on Feb. 15.