KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Union College slid up two spots to No. 5 in the first regular-season 2009 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday.

The Top 5 ranking is the highest ever in Bulldog program history.

Union (10-0-1 overall) 437 total points, 15 fewer than No. 4 Spring Arbor (Mich.) University and 10 more than No. 6 Bellevue (Neb.) University.

Oklahoma City University boasts the No. 1 ranking in the first regular season 2009 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, announced today (Feb. 24). The Stars earned 527 total points and 16 of the possible 19 first-place votes. With a perfect 13-0 record thus far, OCU is seeking its 11th World Series appearance after making it to the 2008 semifinal round. This No. 1 mark is the first for OCU since a top billing in the 2006 Preseason Top 25 Poll (Nov. 16).

No. 2 Lee (Tenn.) notched two first-place votes and 513 total points. The Flames are the national runners-up and stand 12-1 this year under 2008 Rawlings-NAIA National Coach of the Year Mark Brew. Thanks to an 11-2 start, Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) vaults to No. 3 after receiving votes in the Preseason Top 25.

The defending national champions Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) fell from No. 1 in the preseason to No. 7 this time. The Warriors garnered the remaining first-place vote.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the 24 conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The second regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on March 17.

Union will open Appalachian Athletic Conference play Saturday and Sunday when it will play host to Bluefield (Va.) College in a three-game set. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m., while Sunday's nine-inning game will start at 1 p.m.

To view the entire poll, click here.