MORAVIAN SOFTBALL SQUAD JUMPS UP TO 9TH IN LATEST NFCA DIVISION III POLL

STARKVILLE, MS --- The Moravian College softball team has jumped up three spots to ninth in the nation in the fourth regular season National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll of the 2007 season released Wednesday.

The University of St. Thomas (MN) holds down the top spot, receiving 196 points. St. Thomas had five first-place votes while second ranked Louisiana College had three first place votes to go with 190 points. Moravian received 137 points.

Moravian, under the direction of 14th-year head coach John Byrne (418-137), has already posted a 11-3 record this season after competing at the Atlantic versus East Challenge and the 2007 NFCA Leadoff Classic, which was won by St. Thomas.

The Greyhounds were 15th in the preseason poll, 11th in the first regular season poll on March 7th, ninth in the second poll after posting a 3-3 record at the NFCA Leadoff Classic before dropping to 12th last week. The highest Moravian has ever been in the poll was the top spot back in 2004.

The Greyhounds are one of just two teams from the East Region ranked with the Greyhounds being joined by 12th-ranked Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Moravian is currently 2-3 this season against the top 25 with wins over #3 Ithaca, 1-0, and #25 Augustana (IL) College, 6-3, and losses to #2 Louisiana, 5-0; #7 Central (IA) College, 4-1, and #20 Muskingum (OH) College, 2-1 in eight innings. All of those games were played at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Panama City Beach, Florida.

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