Sports News: Spring 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL SQUAD TIED FOR SEVENTH IN FINAL 2007 NFCA DIVISION III TOP 25 POLL

STARKVILLE, MS --- The Moravian College softball team finished the 2007 season in a tie for seventh place in the nation in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll of the 2007 season released Thursday.

National Champion Linfield (OR) College received all eight first-place votes and 200 points to finish the season ranked first. Washington University in St. Louis, the national runner-up at the 2007 World Series, was second with 191 points while the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was third at 183 points. Moravian and Emory (GA) University each received 138 points.

Moravian, under the direction of 14th-year head coach John Byrne (442-141), posted a 35-7 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 won the NCAA Division III Regional at Montclair State University and made their second appearance at the World Series in four years.

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 the following week. Moravian was up three spots to ninth on March 28th before moving into the eighth spot. The Greyhounds were seventh on April 11th before moving up to fifth. Moravian dropped to 12th on April 25th before rebounding to tenth on May 2nd, and the Greyhounds were back to fifth heading to the World Series. The highest Moravian has ever been in the poll was the top spot back in 2004.

The Greyhounds are one of just three teams from the East Region ranked with the Greyhounds being joined by 16th-ranked Montclair State University and 25th-ranked Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Moravian was 3-4 this season against the current top 25 with a win over #12 Ithaca, 1-0, and two wins over #16 Montclair State, 9-2 & 8-2, and losses to #5 DePauw (IN) University, 4-2 at the World Series, #7 Emory, 12-3 at the World Series, #17 Muskingum (OH) College, 2-1 in eight innings, and #18 Louisiana College, 5-0. The Greyhounds were 5-5 overall this season against teams that were nationally ranked during the season.

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