Moravian College Athletics

Sports News: Spring 2002

Friday, May 31, 2002

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL RECEIVES VOTES IN FINAL POLL

COLUMBIA, MO --- The Moravian College softball team, which finished the season with a record of 34-8, has received votes in the final USA Today/NFCA Division III Poll released Thursday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

The Greyhounds, who competed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and won their third consecutive Commonwealth Conference Championship this year, received votes in the preseason poll and were ranked 21st in the first regular season poll and 20th in the second and third polls. National Champion Ithaca College earned the top spot in the final rankings.

Moravian played and defeated two teams ranked in the final top 25 and one other that was ranked earlier in the season. The Greyhounds beat #7 Salisbury (MD) University, 1-0, on March 15th but fell to the Sea Gulls in the NCAA Regionals, 7-4, and the squad split a doubleheader at #19 Rowan (NJ) University, lost 5-0 and won 3-1, on Thursday, April 4th, but the team also lost to the Profs 4-2 in nine innings at the Regional. Moravian defeated Christopher Newport (VA) University, which had been ranked 25th during the season, 7-2 on March 8th.

This marks the third time in head coach John Byrne's nine seasons at Moravian that the Greyhounds have been ranked nationally. The highest ranking the team has achieved was 19th in last year's first regular season poll.

USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll
Released May 30, 2002 - final poll - Records are final

Rank	School (first place votes)	Record	Points	Previous Ranking
1.	Ithaca (NY) College (8)	37-13	200	21
2.	Lake Forest (IL) College	34-12	188	T11
3.	Emory (GA) University	43-10	181	4
4.	Pacific Lutheran (WA) University	36-2	180	1
5.	University of St. Thomas (MN)	38-9	170	9
6.	Bethany (WV) College	32-10	150	NR
7.	Salisbury (MD) University	39-9	147	17
8.	Muskingum (OH) College	40-8	128	3
9.	Western Connecticut State University	34-9-1	126	NR
10.	SUNY Geneseo	36-5	123	7
11.	Roanoke (VA) College	40-7	117	10
12.	East Texas Baptist University	38-8	114	16
13.	Coe (IA) College	37-9	112	NR
T14.	Bridgewater (MA) State College	28-14-1	76	NR
T14.	Central (IA) College	36-5	76	2
16.	Capital (OH) University	30-10-1	75	T11
17.	Benedictine (IL) University	29-16	70	18
18.	University of La Verne (CA)	37-6-1	66	5
19.	Rowan (NJ) University	33-16	61	15
20.	Wheaton (MA) College	31-9	46	13
21.	Cabrini (PA) College	37-8	37	NR
22.	Alma (MI) College	28-11	29	19
23.	Illinois Wesleyan University	32-11	25	23
T24.	SUNY Cortland	34-11	22	14
T24.	Tufts (MA) University	29-9	22	8

Also receiving votes: Moravian College (12); Ferrum (VA) College (8); Wartburg (IA) College (8); University of Puget Sound (WA) (4); University of Wisconsin-Superior (3); Endicott (MA) College (1); Kingis (IL) College (1); Savannah (GA) College of Art & Design (1)