BOONE, N.C. — For the first time in program history, Appalachian State University is ranked in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's top 30 poll. The Mountaineers come in at No. 29 in this week's CBN poll, which was announced on Monday.

Appalachian (17-3, 6-0 SoCon) climbs into the national rankings on the strength of the program's best 20-game start since joining NCAA Division I in 1972. In the 109-year history of ASU baseball, only the 1969 Mountaineers (who competed in the NAIA ranks) had a better 20-game record (18-2) than this year's club.

Appalachian has won 15 of its last 16 games with the only blemish coming in a heartbreaking 6-4 loss at No. 3 South Carolina last Wednesday. The Mountaineers are 6-0 in Southern Conference play for the first time since 1978 and sport a perfect 11-0 record at home.

ASU's resume includes winning 2-of-3 games at No. 7 LSU (Feb. 24-26) and sweeping a two-game season series from Duke. The Apps' only losses came at the hands of South Carolina, LSU (4-0 on Feb. 24) and George Mason (2-1 in season opener on Feb. 17).

The Collegiate Baseball Newspaper top 30 poll is the nation's oldest college baseball poll. CBN debuted its national rankings in 1957.

Appalachian is also on the verge of breaking into the USA Today/ESPN college baseball coaches' top 25 poll, as ASU stands in sixth in the “others receiving votes” column in this week's coaches' poll. The Mountaineers have been receiving votes for several weeks in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, with this week's NCBWA poll set to be released later on Monday. Appalachian did not crack this week's Baseball America top 25 poll. The Apps have never been ranked in the USA Today/ESPN, NCBWA or Baseball America polls.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
ASU Fr. RHP Jamie Nunn (1-0, 2.19 ERA) vs. HPU Jr. RHP Ryan Retz (2-2, 4.68 ERA)

Appalachian will put a national ranking on the line for the first time when it travels to High Point on Tuesday evening.

The Mountaineers and Panthers have met 50 times since 1956 and have squared off on a home-and-home basis each season since 2008. ASU had won eight-straight games in the series before dropping both contests last season — a rain-shortened, five-inning 10-6 loss at HPU on March 15 and a 6-5, 10-inning setback in Boone on May 11. Despite the two-game skid, Appalachian still leads the all-time series between the two clubs, 27-23.

ASU rides a red-hot offense into the mid-week affair. The Mountaineers rank among the nation's top 50 in virtually every offensive category, highlighted by an NCAA Division I-best 56 doubles. The Apps are also among the nation's leaders in batting average (.306 - 42nd), scoring (7.8 runs/game - 18th), hits (213 - 27th), triples (8 - 23rd), home runs (17 - 26th), slugging percentage (.482 - 12th) and stolen bases (41 - 14th).

Not to be overshadowed by its prolific offense, Appalachian also ranks among the nation's top 50 in ERA (3.19 - 49th), hits allowed per nine inning (7.53 - 25th), fielding percentage (.974 - 45th) and double plays turned (21 - 16th).

The Mountaineers will be challenged on Tuesday by a solid High Point squad that sports an RPI of 81 and impressive wins over Army (2), Charlotte, Wake Forest, Mercer (2) and Missouri. The Panthers banged out a season-high 17 hits in Sunday's convincing 13-7 triumph at Mizzou.

ASU freshman Jamie Nunn earns the assignment of trying to keep HPU's offense in check. Nunn (1-0) is making his third start and first since earning his first collegiate win with a fine performance at Duke last Tuesday. The right-hander limited the Blue Devils to an unearned run on three hits while striking out eight over six innings in the 6-3 triumph at Duke.

SCHEDULE CHANGE AT ELON
Game times for Appalachian's pivotal three-game Southern Conference series at Elon this weekend are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. ASU's schedule originally listed the game times as 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.