Garden City, N.Y. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has released the latest NCAA Division II Softball Poll of the top-25 teams to reveal Adelphi as #14. Last week, the Panthers were receiving votes.
This is the first time since 2007 since the program was ranked on the national level. Under former Head Coach, Joe Burbridge, the Brown and Gold entered the ranks on April 19 at #25 and worked their way up to as high as #8 in early May.
This year, upon returning from the Rebel Games in Florida, the Panthers have been on a tear, winning 11 of their last 12 games which included a 10 game win streak. In their last outing, they fell to Southern Connecticut State in the first game of the twinbill, 2-1, but then bounced back in the second and defeated the Owls, 9-0 in five innings.
Head Coach
Breanne Nasti and her squad are currently 21-7 overall, 12-1 in Northeast-10 play and 7-1 in the Southwest division. Additionally, they are the only school from the conference to appear in the national poll.
Indianapolis (30-2) has ascended to the No. 1 position in the NFCA Division II national rankings for the first time in their school history. Currently riding a 23-game winning streak, the Greyhounds received 11 of 16 possible first-place votes in taking over the top spot from West Texas A&M (27-4) by 10 total points. During the past week Indianapolis continued its roll via doubleheader sweeps of Wisconsin-Parkside (8-0 in 6 inn., 7-0), Lewis (7-2, 10-1 in 5 inn.) and St. Joseph's (8-0, 5-1).
After three straight weeks in the top spot, West Texas A&M garnered three first-place votes but managed to drop to No. 2 following a 3-2 weekly effort. Included were a pair of victories over UT-Permian Basin (5-3 in 9 inn., 10-2 in 5 inn.), and a razor-thin, two-games-to-one series loss to then-unranked Angelo State (9-6, 6-8, 3-4) in Lone Star Conference action.
No. 3 Armstrong Atlantic (27-4-1) registered a 5-1 mark over the past week and received a first-place nod in exchanging positions with fourth-rated Valdosta State (26-8), while Southeastern Oklahoma State (28-7) again rounded out the top 5.
North Georgia (30-9) held steady at No. 6, while Texas Woman's (33-7) and Rollins (35-6) traded positions from the previous poll by sitting seventh and eighth, respectively. Humboldt State (28-9), currently enjoying a 16-game winning streak, continued its rapid rise up the rankings by skyrocketing five spots to No. 9 while garnering a first-place vote. Central Oklahoma (25-7) slid a slot to No. 10 following a 4-2 week that included a pair of losses against Midwestern State (6-15, 1-4) as well as doubleheader sweeps of Southwest Baptist (9-1, 8-0) and Central Missouri (5-1, 9-8).
Three teams (former No. 21 West Alabama, No. 22 St. Mary's and No. 25 Lenoir Rhyne) dropped from this week's listing making room for the entrances of Adelphi at No. 14, Angelo State at No. 23 and West Virginia State at No. 25.
The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Current 2013 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.
NFCA Division II Softball Poll – April 3, 2013
|
Rank |
Team |
2013
Record |
Totals |
Last Poll |
|
1 |
Indianapolis (11) |
30-2 |
392 |
2 |
|
2 |
West Texas A&M (3) |
27-4 |
382 |
1 |
|
3 |
Armstrong Atlantic (1) |
27-4-1 |
369 |
4 |
|
4 |
Valdosta State |
26-8 |
352 |
3 |
|
5 |
SE Oklahoma State |
28-7 |
324 |
5 |
|
6 |
North Georgia |
30-9 |
291 |
6 |
|
7 |
Texas Woman's Univ. |
33-7 |
281 |
8 |
|
8 |
Rollins |
35-6 |
280 |
7 |
|
9 |
Humboldt State (1) |
28-9 |
260 |
14 |
|
10 |
Central Oklahoma |
25-7 |
244 |
9 |
|
11 |
California (Pa.) |
14-0 |
223 |
10 |
|
12 |
Grand Valley State |
20-2 |
205 |
15 |
|
13 |
Colo. School of Mines |
25-4-1 |
197 |
12 |
|
14 |
Adelphi |
20-6 |
185 |
RV |
|
15 |
North Alabama |
28-10 |
180 |
23 |
|
16 |
Sonoma State |
25-8 |
172 |
16 |
|
17 |
Tampa |
22-8 |
157 |
13 |
|
18 |
Fort Hays State |
27-5 |
131 |
17 |
|
19 |
Columbus State |
29-11 |
110 |
19 |
|
20 |
Molloy |
22-6 |
106 |
11 |
|
21 |
Grand Canyon |
27-10 |
87 |
18 |
|
22 |
Gannon |
15-2 |
76 |
20 |
|
23 |
Angelo State |
24-10 |
48 |
RV |
|
24 |
Missouri Western St. |
24-8 |
39 |
24 |
|
25 |
West Virginia State |
16-5 |
20 |
RV |
Dropped Out of Poll: No. 21 West Alabama (22-11), No. 22 St. Mary's (28-12), No. 25 Lenoir Rhyne (23-10)
Others Receiving Votes: Barry (13), Dixie State (13), Georgia College (11), Shippensburg (10), Midwestern State (9), UC San Diego (9), Minnesota State Mankato (8), Missouri-St. Louis (5), Incarnate Word (4), Lenoir Rhyne (4), Hawaii-Hilo (2), West Alabama (1).
~Portions of this release courtesy of Brian Davis, NFCA Director of Media Relations
