Sports News: Winter 2003-04

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL SQUAD RANKED 10TH IN NFCA DIVISION III PRESEASON POLL

STARKVILLE, MS --- The Moravian College softball team has been ranked 10th in the 2004 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Preseason Top 25 Poll released Wednesday.

Salisbury (MD) University, the runner-up at last year’s NCAA Division III World Series and the team that defeated Moravian twice in the regional championship to reach the World Series, received two first-place votes and 194 points to hold down the top spot in the poll. Defending national champion Central (IA) College received six first-place votes in the poll for 192 points and the second spot. Moravian, which was ninth in the final poll last season, received 134 points.

Moravian, under the direction of tenth year head coach John Byrne (293-111), returns all 13 players from last year’s 32-10 squad that made its sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Greyhounds are also the four-time defending Commonwealth Conference Champions and have added four talented freshmen to the roster.

Moravian is one of three teams from the East Region ranked with the Greyhounds joining 13th-ranked Montclair State University of New Jersey and 18th-ranked William Paterson University (NJ). Bethany (WV) College and Cabrini College of the East Region received votes in the poll but are not ranked in the top 25.

The Greyhounds, who begin their 2004 season at the Atlantic versus East Challenge in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Friday and Saturday, March 5th and 6th, will play at least three teams ranked in the NFCA Preseason Poll. Moravian will play #2 Central on Friday, March 12th on the first day of the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic in LaGrange, GA. The Greyhounds will also play #21 Capital (OH) University on Saturday, March 13th in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, and Moravian is scheduled to host #18 William Paterson in a doubleheader in Bethlehem on Thursday, April 22nd.

The Greyhounds will likely play additional teams ranked or receiving votes in the NFCA poll at the NFCA Leadoff Classic as 16 of 24 schools scheduled to compete were ranked or received votes.

2004 NFCA - NCAA Division III Preseason Top 25 Poll (released February 11, 2004)

Rank School (First-Place votes) 2003 Record Points
1. Salisbury (MD) University (2) 45-6-1 194
2. Central (IA) College (6) 31-4-1 192
3. Emory (GA) University 38-6 171
4. Muskingum (OH) College 42-5 163
5. Illinois Wesleyan University 38-8 162
6. Pacific Lutheran University 32-3 160
7. SUNY Cortland 42-8-1 147
8. Wartburg College 38-10 141
9. Wheaton (MA) College 35-9 139
10. Moravian (PA) College 32-10 134
11. Alma (MI) College 32-6 132
12. Methodist (NC) College 38-10 97
13. Montclair State (NJ) University 36-9 93
14. Ithaca (NY) College 30-10 88
15. California Lutheran University 24-20 83
16. University of Chicago 23-10 76
17. Keene State (NH) University 27-14 66
18. William Paterson (NJ) University 29-12-1 55
19. Western New England College 32-7 47
20. Union (NY) College 26-7 43
21. Capital (OH) University 27-14 37
22. Simpson (IA) College 31-4-1 33
23. Tufts (MA) University 26-13 25
24. Coe (IA) College 27-9 22
25. Western Connecticut State University 24-9 21

Others receiving votes:
St. Thomas (MN) University 14, Linfield (OR) University 12, Bethany (WV)College 11, Louisiana College 9, California State University Hayward 8, Cabrini (PA) College 8, Chapman (CA) University 5, East Texas Baptist University 4, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 3, Lake Forest (IL) College 3, Wittenburg (OH) University 2.