MORAVIAN SOFTBALL SQUAD RANKED 14TH IN 2009 NFCA DIVISION III PRESEASON POLL

STARKVILLE, MS --- The Moravian College softball team has been ranked 14th in the nation in the 2009 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Preseason Top 25 Poll released Wednesday. 

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, last year’s national runner-up, received four first-place votes and 196 points to hold down the top spot in the poll while The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the defending national champion, received three first-place votes and totaled 185 points to be second in the poll.  Louisiana College holds down the third spot in the poll after receiving 180 points.  Moravian received 100 points in the preseason poll.

Moravian, under the direction of 16th-year head coach John Byrne (475-147), returns 13 players and nine starters from last year’s 33-6 squad that won the inaugural Landmark Conference Championship.  The program missed the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in 11 seasons last year and has added seven new players.

Moravian is one of two teams from the East Region ranked with the Greyhounds being joined by 15th-ranked Ursinus College, just one vote behind Moravian.  Ramapo College of New Jersey from the East Region did receive votes.

The Greyhounds, who begin their 2009 season at the National Training Center in Clairmont, Florida March 1st through 8th, will play Ramapo in a doubleheader on the road on Thursday, April 16th.

The complete poll can be found at http://nfca.org/top25/index.php?cat_id=3.