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.
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