LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rogers State continued its hold on the No. 1 spot, while three new programs made their first appearance in the rankings in this week’s 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. No. 20 Colorado Christian, No. 22 West Texas A&M and No. 23 Saint Leo are ranked for the first time this season, while Grand Valley State returns to the top 10 at No. 8.
The Hillcats (12-1) rebounded from their first loss of the season last Sunday with a mid-week doubleheader sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma State (7-0, 7-1).
North Georgia and Tampa moved into No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, after undefeated weeks. The NightHawks (15-1) were a perfect 5-0, sweeping a mid-week twinbill from West Georgia (9-0, 8-3) and opening Peach Belt Conference (PBC) play by taking all three on the road from USC Beaufort (7-0, 6-0, 5-2). The Spartans also opened league play with a sweep. Behind strong pitching, Tampa swept Palm Beach Atlantic (2-1, 4-1, 8-0) at home.
The previously-mentioned duo’s move was made possible after then-No. 2 UT Tyler dropped two Lone Star Conference (LSC) contests to RV Angelo State and finished 4-2 on the week. The Patriots (14-3) opened with a mid-week LSC sweep of Cameron (4-2, 8-0, 7-1) before dropping two-of-three to the Rambelles. UT Tyler picked up a 7-0 win, but Angelo State earned two one-run, 3-2, victories.
Cal State San Marcos and Southern Arkansas shifted up one spot each to No. 5 and No. 6, respectively. The Cougars (10-3) took three-of-four at Cal State East Bay in California Collegiate Athletic Association play, while the Muleriders (15-2) won their Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opening series at East Central (9-1, 7-3, 4-3).
Lubbock Christian, Grand Valley State, Central Oklahoma and Seton Hill round out the top 10. The No. 7 Lady Chaps (16-4) won a pair of three-game LSC series against Midwestern State (9-0, 9-4, 9-0) and Texas Woman’s (1-0 8 inn., 9-1, 4-3). Eighth-ranked GVSU (5-0) won its first five games of the season with triumphs over Minnesota Duluth (1-0), Walsh (9-1), Truman State (10-2), William Jewell (2-1) and Winona State (7-0).
The Bronchos (8-3), sitting at No. 9 were idle, while the Griffins (4-2) dropped to No. 10 after a 2-2 week. Seton Hill was involved in four close contests, winning a pair of one-run affairs against West Virginia Wesleyan (1-0 8 inn.) and at Glenville State (2-1) and dropping matchups against Fairmont State (2-3 8 inn.) and West Virginia State (1-4).
The three newcomers to the poll are a combined 36-3. No. 20 Colorado Christian dropped its first two games of the season and have not looked back since, winning 18 straight, which includes two wins at then-No. 19 Concordia. No. 22 West Texas A&M is a perfect 15-0 and is 6-0 in LSC play, while 23rd-ranked Saint Leo rode an eight-game win streak into its Monday matchup against No. 25 Wilmington.
Dropping out of the ranking were No. 18 Lincoln Memorial, No. 19 Oklahoma Christian and No. 24 Nova Southeastern.
The 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee. The committee consists of 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the NCAA’s eight regions. Records reflect games played through Jan. 26, 2023.
2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
February 28 (Week 3)
|
Rank |
School |
Points |
2023 Record |
Previous Ranking |
|
1 |
Rogers State (16) |
400 |
12-1 |
1 |
|
2 |
North Georgia |
381 |
15-1 |
3 |
|
3 |
Tampa |
361 |
8-0 |
4 |
|
4 |
UT Tyler |
358 |
14-3 |
2 |
|
5 |
Cal State San Marcos |
330 |
10-3 |
6 |
|
6 |
Southern Arkansas |
319 |
15-2 |
7 |
|
7 |
Lubbock Christian |
285 |
16-4 |
9 |
|
8 |
Grand Valley State |
262 |
5-0 |
12 |
|
9 |
Central Oklahoma |
241 |
8-3 |
10 |
|
10 |
Seton Hill |
235 |
4-2 |
5 |
|
11 |
Indianapolis |
234 |
12-2 |
14 |
|
11 |
UAH |
234 |
14-3 |
17 |
|
13 |
Valdosta State |
228 |
11-3 |
8 |
|
14 |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
213 |
10-5 |
13 |
|
15 |
Adelphi |
206 |
8-3 |
11 |
|
16 |
Anderson |
177 |
16-4 |
15 |
|
17 |
Concordia |
152 |
14-4 |
16 |
|
18 |
Washburn |
100 |
15-3 |
20 |
|
19 |
Sonoma State |
88 |
13-1 |
22 |
|
20 |
Colorado Christian |
87 |
18-2 |
RV |
|
21 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
79 |
15-1 |
23 |
|
22 |
West Texas A&M |
61 |
15-0 |
RV |
|
23 |
Saint Leo |
46 |
13-1 |
RV |
|
24 |
Wilmington |
35 |
4-2 |
25 |
|
25 |
St. Mary's |
25 |
14-5 |
21 |
New to Poll: No. 20 Colorado Christian, No. 22 West Texas A&M, No. 23 Saint Leo
Dropped Out: No. 18 Lincoln Memorial, No. 19 Oklahoma Christian, NO. 24 Nova Southeastern
Receiving Votes: Oklahoma Christian (19), Harding (17), Nova Southeastern (16), Wingate (5), Oklahoma Baptist (3), Angelo State (1), Carson-Newman (1), Illinois-Springfield (1).
The 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee. The committee consists of 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the NCAA’s eight regions. Records reflect games played through Feb. 26, 2023.
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