LOUISVILLE, Ky. – North Georgia extended its winning streak to 33 games, while teams in the top 10 shuffled around in this week’s 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The NightHawks (34-1) posted four more wins last week, recording three shutouts and outscoring their opponents 42-2.
Following No. 2 Rogers State dropping four-of-six games last week, the top 10 had movement amongst its residents. Tampa, UT Tyler and Central Oklahoma shifted up one spot each to No. 2 through 4, while UAH and Indianapolis leapfrogged No. 8 Grand Valley State for the No. 5 and No. 6 positions. Idle Concordia comes in at No. 9 and Valdosta State remains at No. 10.
Amongst the previously-mentioned teams, No. 3 UT Tyler and No. 6 UIndy joined UNG as the only programs to get through last week unscathed. The Patriots (34-4) swept a pair of Lone Star Conference series from Texas Woman’s and RV Oklahoma Christian, while the Greyhounds (26-3), won three Great Lakes Valley Conference road games, two versus Illinois Springfield and one against Lewis. No. 2 Tampa and No. 5 UAH picked up league series wins, while No. 4 Central Oklahoma swept and split a pair of road doubleheaders in conference play.
The Spartans (23-2) knocked off RV Nova Southeastern in Boca Raton. The Chargers (25-5) posted a 4-1 week, sweeping Lincoln Memorial in a pair of one-run non-conference affairs, followed by taking two-of-three from West Georgia in Gulf South Conference action. The fourth-ranked Bronchos (23-4) topped Northwest Missouri State in an MIAA twinbill and split with Missouri Western.
Seventh-ranked Grand Valley State went 5-1 as it opened Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play sweeping Parkside and Purdue Northwest by a combined score of 35-4. The Lakers (20-3) did slip in mid-week action, splitting on the road at Tiffin.
The Hillcats (23-6), who dipped to No. 8, opened their week with two wins over Southwest Oklahoma before suffering consecutive doubleheader sweeps in MIAA action at Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern.
No. 10 Valdosta State (25-5) split at then-No. 18 Saint Leo (31-5) in its only action of the week. The Lions, who jumped to No. 14, along with UT Tyler, No. 11 Lubbock Christian and new-No. 17 Wingate reached the 30-win plateau last week.
Making its first appearance this season is Oklahoma Baptist (27-9) at No. 25.
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 March 26, 2023.
2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
March 28 (Week 7)
|
Rank |
School |
Points |
2023 Record |
Previous Ranking |
|
1 |
North Georgia (16) |
400 |
34-1 |
1 |
|
2 |
Tampa |
380 |
23-2 |
3 |
|
3 |
UT Tyler |
365 |
34-4 |
4 |
|
4 |
Central Oklahoma |
350 |
23-4 |
5 |
|
5 |
UAH |
319 |
25-5 |
7 |
|
6 |
Indianapolis |
316 |
26-3 |
9 |
|
7 |
Grand Valley State |
295 |
20-3 |
6 |
|
8 |
Rogers State |
286 |
23-6 |
2 |
|
9 |
Concordia |
284 |
26-6 |
8 |
|
10 |
Valdosta State |
259 |
25-5 |
10 |
|
11 |
Lubbock Christian |
245 |
30-8 |
11 |
|
12 |
Colorado Christian |
217 |
34-2 |
12 |
|
13 |
Sonoma State |
206 |
22-4 |
t13 |
|
14 |
Saint Leo |
166 |
31-5 |
18 |
|
15 |
Washburn |
156 |
27-5 |
21 |
|
16 |
West Texas A&M |
152 |
29-4 |
20 |
|
17 |
Wingate |
150 |
31-8 |
19 |
|
18 |
Adelphi |
138 |
15-4 |
16 |
|
19 |
Cal State San Marcos |
124 |
18-9 |
15 |
|
20 |
Harding |
118 |
26-8 |
t13 |
|
21 |
Mississippi College |
65 |
24-5 |
23 |
|
22 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
64 |
26-6 |
24 |
|
23 |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
37 |
18-9 |
22 |
|
24 |
Southern Arkansas |
27 |
23-10 |
17 |
|
25 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
20 |
27-9 |
RV |
New to Poll: No. 25 Oklahoma Baptist
Dropped Out: No. 25 Carson-Newman
Receiving Votes: Nova Southeastern (19), Carson-Newman (15), Wilmington (15), Oklahoma Christian (7), West Alabama (3).
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 March 26, 2023.
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