Moravian College Athletics

Sports News: Spring 2005

Thursday, May 5, 2005

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL SQUAD RETURNS TO NFCA DIVISION III TOP 25 POLL; GREYHOUNDS TIED FOR 19TH

STARKVILLE, MS --- The Moravian College softball team, which begins its 11th straight postseason appearance on Friday, returned to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll in a tie for 19th place in the fourth regular season poll released Wednesday.

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

The Greyhounds, who had dropped out of the poll last week, received a total of 39 points and are tied with Alma (MI) College. Both teams participated in last year’s NCAA Division III World Series. Washington (MO) University holds down the top spot with 200 points and all eight first-place votes. Moravian has played two nationally ranked teams this season, falling to second-ranked Salisbury (MD) University, 3-1 in nine innings and to #14 William Paterson (NJ) University, 3-0 & 5-4 in a non-conference doubleheader.

Moravian, under the direction of head coach John Byrne, is 31-6 overall and 13-1 in Commonwealth Conference action this season. Coach Byrne has a career record of 364-123 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 of Friday, May 6th as the top seed in the 2005 Commonwealth Conference Tournament at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove. Moravian will play fourth-seeded Albright College at 11:00 a.m. in the first game of the tournament.

2005 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll
Records as of May 1, 2005

Rank	School (First Place votes)	Record	Points	Previous
1	Washington University in St. Louis (8)	45-1	200	1
2	Salisbury (MD) University	37-4	188	3
3	Chapman (CA) University	31-7	179	4
4	University of Rutgers-Camden	31-3	169	2
5	Muskingum College	33-5	163	5
6	Coe (IA) College	34-4	154	6
7	Endicott (MA) College	31-2-1	153	8
8	Union (NY) College	28-4	139	9
9	University of Redlands (OR)	30-6	131	12
10	Emory (GA) University	32-6	130	11
11	Linfield (OR) College	31-7	114	13
T12	North Central (IL) College	29-9	103	NR
T12	University of St. Thomas (MN)	33-6	103	13
14	William Paterson (NJ) University	29-8	93	14
15	Western New England College	36-3	91	23
16	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	30-7	86	15
17	Babson (MA) College	37-6	81	21
18	Mount Union College	26-7	66	17
T19	Alma (MI) College	26-8	39	22
T19	Moravian College	31-6	39	NR
21	Roanoke (VA) College	32-10	34	20
22	SUNY Cortland	28-9	30	16
23	Tufts (MA) University	25-6	25	NR
24	Aurora (IL) University	33-4-1	23	NR
25	St. Scholastica (MN) College	31-5	19	NR

Others receiving votes:
Ferrum (VA) College 10; University of Chicago 10; Cal Sate East Bay 9; Louisisanna College 6; Ramapo College of New Jersey 5; Augustana (IL) College 3; Hope (IL) College 2; Gettysburg College 1; Ithaca (NY) College 1; Smith (MA) College 1.

Dropped out:
No. 10 Augustana (IL) College; No. Smith (MA) College; No. 19 Hardin-Simmons (TX) University; No. 24 Ramapo College of New Jersey; No. 25. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.