Expectations will be low for this year's Boston College baseball team, who was picked to finish last in the 2012 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Eagles received a conference low 14 points. North Carolina was tabbed as the preseason favorite, while Clemson received the nod as the favorite in the Atlantic Division.
Florida State was picked to finish second in the division, followed by N.C. State, Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College.
In the Coastal, Georgia Tech was picked second, followed by Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Duke.
Same as last year, the Eagles will open the season participating in the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Conway, S.C., facing Virginia, James Madison and host Coastal Carolina. The season opener is February 17 against Virginia.
The Eagles then hit the road for the next 14 games of the season, including three-game series against Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Miami and Clemson as well as games against Florida International, Florida Atlantic and the annual exhibition game with the Boston Red Sox down in Fort Myers (March 3).
BC's home opener is on March 20 against Holy Cross, while the Eagles first home ACC series is on March 23-25 as they host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
A total of six ACC programs are ranked among the top 23 of the 2012 National Collegiate Baseball Writers preseason poll, including No. 3 North Carolina, No. 9 Georgia Tech, No. 10 Florida State, No. 16 Miami, No. 17 Clemson and No. 23 Virginia. Including 28th ranked UCF and 35th ranked Coastal Carolina, 20 of the Eagles 56 regular season games will be played against teams ranked in the preseason top 35.
Such is life in ACC baseball.