LOUISVILLE, Ky. – National champion Southern Indiana is the unanimous No. 1 team in the final 2018 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Screaming Eagles (41-23) collected all 16 first-place votes and 400 points.
Behind a miraculous run through postseason, USI became the first women's program at the school to win a team national title. The Screaming Eagles, under the direction of Sue Kunkle, went 5-0 as the eight-seed at the NCAA Championships, sweeping second-seeded Saint Anselm in the Championship Series. Including a 4-0 sweep through the Great Lakes Valley Tournament, Southern Indiana went 14-1 after the regular season concluded. The sweep gave the Screaming Eagles their first GLVC tournament title.
National runner-up Saint Anselm received all 16 second-place votes. The Hawks (44-13-1) reached the Championship series in their first-ever National Championships appearance. Saint Anselm smashed its single-season win record by 10 as head coach Jill Gagnon was named NE-10 Coach of the Year. The Hawks won their first seven games of the NCAA postseason and finished 8-3 overall. Six of those wins were by one or two runs.
National semifinalists Southern Arkansas (60-11) and Saint Leo (39-18) finished the season ranked No. 3 and No. 4. The final four NCAA Championship participants – North Georgia (62-4), Angelo State (53-9), Chico State (55-6) and West Chester (45-15) – are ranked No. 5 through No. 8, respectively.
No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce (42-12) and No. 10 Concordia-Irvine round out the top 10.
Six programs enter the poll this week, including Southern Indiana, Saint Anselm and West Chester. Joining that trio is Super Regional participants – No. 14 Young Harris, No. 23 LIU Post and No. 24 Gannon, all who earn a ranking for the first time in 2018.
The 2018 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions.
2018 NFCA Division II
Top 25 Coaches Poll – June 6 (Final)
|
RANK |
TEAM |
POINTS |
RECORD |
PREVIOUS |
|
1 |
Southern Indiana (16) |
400 |
41-23 |
|
|
2 |
Saint Anselm |
384 |
44-13-1 |
RV |
|
3 |
Southern Arkansas |
354 |
60-11 |
8 |
|
4 |
Saint Leo |
344 |
39-18 |
25 |
|
5 |
North Georgia |
340 |
62-4 |
1 |
|
6 |
Angelo State |
332 |
53-9 |
6 |
|
7 |
Chico State |
309 |
55-6 |
2 |
|
8 |
West Chester |
289 |
45-15 |
RV |
|
9 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
259 |
42-12 |
13 |
|
10 |
Concordia Irvine |
228 |
46-14 |
12 |
|
11 |
UAH |
223 |
39-18 |
16 |
|
12 |
Illinois Springfield |
204 |
40-19 |
19 |
|
13 |
Dixie State |
180 |
42-10 |
18 |
|
14 |
Young Harris |
172 |
35-21 |
|
|
15 |
Minnesota Duluth |
166 |
44-16 |
25 |
|
16 |
Colorado Mesa |
159 |
48-5 |
3 |
|
17 |
Grand Valley State |
126 |
44-9 |
9 |
|
18 |
North Alabama |
114 |
46-7 |
4 |
|
19 |
Winona State |
100 |
45-7 |
5 |
|
20 |
Tarleton State |
92 |
50-11 |
17 |
|
21 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
85 |
45-10 |
11 |
|
22 |
Palm Beach Atlantic |
73 |
36-8 |
7 |
|
23 |
LIU Post |
65 |
38-19 |
|
|
24 |
Gannon |
64 |
32-15 |
RV |
|
25 |
California Baptist |
57 |
35-12 |
14 |
New to Poll: No. 1 Southern Indiana, No. 2 Saint Anselm, No. 8 West Chester, No. 14 Young Harris, No. 23 LIU Post, No. 24 Gannon
Dropped Out: No. 10 West Texas A&M, No. 15 Augustana, No. 20 Georgia College, No. 21 UC San Diego, No. 22 Embry-Riddle, No. 23 West Virginia Wesleyan, No. 24 Adelphi
Receiving Votes: West Texas A&M (25), Augustana (23), Georgia College (14), UC San Diego (14), Adelphi (2), Valdosta State (2), West Virginia Wesleyan (1).
The 2018 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions.
