Moravian College Athletics

Sports News: Spring 2003

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL JUMPS TO 9TH PLACE IN FINAL NFCA/USA TODAY
TOP 25 POLL OF 2003 SEASON

COLUMBIA, MO --- The Moravian College softball team has returned to the top ten for the first time in six years in the final USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll of the 2003 season released Wednesday. The Greyhounds are ranked ninth in the nation in the fifth and final poll of the season.

National Champion Central (IA) College received all eight first place votes to receive 200 points and the top spot in the poll while national runner-up Salisbury (MD) University was second with 192 points. The Greyhounds received 129 points and the ranking is the highest Moravian has been ranked nationally since being ranked eighth in the nation during in 1998 season.

Moravian, under the direction of ten-year head coach John Byrne (293-111), was 32-10 overall this spring and finished as the runner up at the NCAA Division III Regional hosted by Ramapo College. The Greyhounds were one win away from earning their first-ever berth to the 2003 NCAA Division III World Series before losing to Salisbury twice. Moravian won its third straight Commonwealth Conference Tournament this year and its fourth consecutive Commonwealth Conference Championship. The Greyhounds trip to the NCAA Regionals is the sixth straight for the program.

Moravian is one of four teams from the East Region ranked with the Greyhounds joining 15th ranked William Paterson (NJ) University, 21st-ranked Montclair State (NJ) University and 23rd-ranked Cabrini College. The Greyhounds were ranked 20th in the preseason poll and moved up to 18th in the first regular season poll before falling out of the rankings for three weeks. The Greyhounds returned to the rankings in 19th the week before the NCAA Tournament.

The Greyhounds were 1-3 in four games against Salisbury this season, and the squad also had a win over Ramapo College of New Jersey, which was ranked earlier in the season.

Final 2003 USA Today/NFCA - NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll
(released May 28, 2003)

Rank	School (first place votes)	Record	Points	Previous Ranking
1.	Central (Iowa) College (8)	41-5-1	200	5
2.	Salisbury (Md.) University	45-6-1	192	7
3.	Illinois Wesleyan University	38-8	181	6
4.	Emory (Ga.) University	39-6	174	2
5.	SUNY Cortland (N.Y.)	42-8-1	162	4
6.	Wartburg (Iowa) College	38-10	158	17
7.	Muskingum (Ohio) College	42-5	157	3
8.	Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) University	32-3	143	1
9.	Moravian (Pa.) College	32-10	129	19
10.	Western New England (Mass.) College	32-7	121	21
11.	Wheaton (Mass.) College	35-9	116	9
12.	Alma (Mich.) College	32-6	112	10
13.	Methodist (N.C.) College	38-10	99	14 (tie)
14.	University of Chicago (Ill.)	23-10	97	14 (tie)
15.	William Paterson (N.J.) University	29-12-1	88	25
16.	California Lutheran University	24-20	73	NR
17.	Keene State (NH) College	27-14	60	NR
18.	Lake Forest (Ill.) College	25-13	58	23
19.	Union (NY) College	26-7	52	NR
20.	Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) College	27-11	45	12
21.	Montclair State (NJ) University	36-9	44	NR
22.	Chapman (Calif.) University	30-10	39	20
23.	Cabrini (Pa.) College	35-8	24	NR
24.	Ithaca (N.Y.) College	30-10	23	16
25.	Tufts (Mass.) University	26-13	17	18

Dropped out: Bethany (W.Va.) College, East Texas Baptist University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Washington (Mo.) University, Simpson (IA) College

Others receiving votes: Wittenberg (Ohio) College 10, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 7, Endicott (Mass.) College 6; Washington (Mo.) University 3; California State University-Hayward 3; East Texas Baptist University 3; Bethany (W.Va.) College 1; Ramapo College of New Jersey 1.

Others considered: College of Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio), St. Thomas (Minn.) University, Plymouth State (NH) College, Linfield (Ore.) College, Norwich (Vt.) College, Rochester Institute of Technology (N.J.), Carthage (Wis.) College.