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Sports News: Spring 2005


Wednesday, April 13, 2005

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL SQUAD JUMPS NINE SPOTS TO #9 IN SECOND NFCA
DIVISION III TOP 25 POLL OF THE 2005 SEASON

STARKVILLE, MS --- The Moravian College softball team, which has won 16 consecutive games, jumped up nine spots to ninth in the nation in the second regular season National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll of the year released Wednesday.

Eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions vote on the NFCA Division III Top 25 poll.

The Greyhounds received a total of 126 points. Washington (MO) University holds down the top spot with 198 points and six first-place votes. Moravian has played one nationally ranked team this season, falling to fourth-ranked Salisbury (MD) University, 3-1 in nine innings. Moravian still has one nationally ranked team on its remaining schedule this season. The Greyhounds are slated to travel to #23 William Paterson (NJ) University for a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, April 21st beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Moravian, under the direction of head coach John Byrne, is 22-3 overall and 6-0 in Commonwealth Conference action this season. Coach Byrne has a career record of 355-120 in his 12th season at Moravian.

The highest the Greyhound have ever been ranked in the poll was last season when Moravian held the top spot in the country for four weeks before finishing the 2004 season as the NCAA Division III National Runner-Up.

Moravian is slated to return to action on Thursday, April 14th in a non-conference doubleheader versus Delaware Valley College beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Blue & Grey Field in Bethlehem.

2005 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll
Records as of April 10, 2005

Rank School (First Place votes) Record Points Previous
1 Washington University in St. Louis (6) 31-1 198 2
2 Chapman (CA) University (2) 28-4 191 1
3 Muskingum College 23-3 181 3
4 Salisbury (MD) University 27-3 179 4
5 University of Rutgers-Camden 23-1 163 7
6 University of St. Thomas (MN) 18-5 159 6
7 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 19-4 144 8
8 Linfield (OR) College 23-5-1 127 13
9 Moravian College 20-3 126 18
10 Babson (MA) College 20-3 124 NR
11 Methodist (NC) College 29-7 119 16
12 University of Chicago 18-1 116 20
13 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 12-1-1 108 12
14 Coe (IA) College 21-3 92 16
15 Mount Union College 20-5 75 14
16 Buffalo State University 17-3 74 NR
17 Emory (GA) University 27-5 69 NR
18 Endicott (MA) College 15-2 58 NR
19 University of Redlands 24-6 53 21
20 Alma (MI) College 18-6 51 NR
21 The College of New Jersey 19-8 32 25
22 Augustana (IL) College 16-6 28 4
23 William Paterson (NJ) University 19-4 26 10
24 Tufts (MA) University 15-3 25 NR
25 Roanoke (VA) College 24-7 22 23

Others receiving votes:
Cal State East Bay 17, Central (IA) College 16; Union (NY) College 15, Rowan (NJ) University 5, Western New England College 3, Hardin Simmons (TX) University 2, Wartburg (IA) College 2.

Dropped out:
No. 9 Wheaton (MA) College, No. 11 Cal State East Bay, No. 15. Simpson (IA) College, No. 19 Keene State (NH) College, No. 22 Union (NY) College, No. 24 Hope College