Cullman's Carter Bowen delivers during the latter stages of last Saturday's opener against Southside-Gadsdsen.The sophomore earned the win with three solid innings of relief.

Cullman slipped two spots in Baseball America’s national high school rankings released Tuesday morning.

The Bearcats were 20th two weeks after debuting at 18th in the publication’s preseason top 50. The list was trimmed to 25 for Tuesday’s first rankings of the regular season and will continue to feature the same number the rest of the spring.

The Black and Gold’s record reads 9-1 on Baseball America’s website, though they’re off to an 11-1 start. They’re seventh out of squads with one loss.

Seven schools in front of Cullman have yet to play a game. College Park (Calif.), the No. 1 team, has completed one.

The Bearcats are likely to be at or near the top of the Class 6A totem pole when the Alabama Sports Writers Association releases its first baseball and softball rankings late Wednesday night (online) and early Thursday morning (print).

Cullman’s road slate against Madison Academy and Grissom was among the area’s casualties washed out by Tuesday’s wet weather.

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College Softball

UAB cashed in on its best 20-game start and longest win streak in program history with its first appearance of the season in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Poll.

The Blazers, riding a 12-game run, entered the rankings Tuesday tied for 25th. They were last ranked in January 2014 and capped off the 2013 campaign 16th.

Good Hope graduate Cara Goodwin has played a huge part in UAB’s 18-5 (3-0 Conference USA) record up to this point. Entering Tuesday’s tilt at Alabama — which was canceled due to potential thunderstorms — the sophomore was a spotless 8-0 with a 1.94 ERA, five come games, a shutout and 45 strikeouts in 54 innings.

The Blazers’ inclusion gives the state four teams in the top 25. Alabama is fifth; Auburn, 12th; and South Alabama, 24th.

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College Golf

Jake Tucker led Troy to a runner-up result at the Tiger Invitational held Saturday through Tuesday in Auburn.

The Cullman High product was 1-over in the final round at the Grand National Lake Course and finished 4-under overall to tie for seventh.

The Trojans, ranked 50th nationally by Golfweek, were 28 strokes behind Auburn, which combined for a 25-under score.