The Bard College baseball team appeared in the NCAA Regional Rankings for the first time ever this week.

NCAA Div. III baseball is divided into 10 geographical regions. Bard plays in Region III, which is New York, and the Raptors are seventh in this week's rankings. The rankings use strength of schedule and record against regionally-ranked opponents as key factors in determining the rankings. Bard has a .531 strength of schedule and a 4-3 record against regionally-ranked opponents. The national selection committee counts heavily on the regional rankings to determine bids to the NCAA Tournament.

"The program is continuing to grow and go in the direction we know it can," Bard coach Andy Salvatore said.

The Raptors play a best-of-three Liberty League Crossover Series against Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend. The winner of that series goes to the Liberty League playoffs.

Bard, which re-started baseball after a 76-year absence in 2013, would be making its first trip to the conference tournament.